Top 15 Food Items That Boost Metabolism

food for metabolism — (Source: hearstapps)

As the world is facing health concerns, it has become a mandatory requirement to maintain a healthy weight. Boosting your metabolism is the best way to do so. Various food items can contribute to enhancing your metabolism.

Are you planning to enrich your diet with foods that increase metabolism? Find out all about it in this piece.

What Is Metabolism and Its Functions?

Metabolism refers to the process which assists your body in converting the food and drinks you consume into energy. It is a complex process. It combines the calories in food and beverages with oxygen to release energy, which helps you function.

Your body needs energy even while resting to do complete functions like breathing, blood circulation, growing and repairing cells, etc.

Metabolism works across two parts. The first part is anabolism, which helps to grow new cells and maintain the body tissues while storing energy. The second part is catabolism, which breaks down your body's fat and carbohydrate molecules. These help release energy, further improving anabolism and allowing the muscles to contract.

Metabolism is often associated with weight, but it is not the same. Individuals have different levels of control over the speed of basal metabolism. If you have lower control, you can avoid weight gain with the help of physical activities.

What Factors Affect Metabolism?

The following factors affect the individual basal metabolism.

Age: Metabolism tends to decrease with age. When you are younger, your body can easily digest food and burn excess calories to produce more energy. However, this process is much more challenging for older people. Calorie hardly burns in the body, and the fat in food accounts for weight gain.
Gender: Men tend to have comparatively less body fat than women. They also have more muscles as per their body structure. This means men are more capable of burning calories faster than women, which indicates that they have a better metabolism than women.
Body Size and Composition: Your body size and physique might affect your metabolism. You are likely to burn calories faster if you have a larger body size and more muscles. There will be lesser fat and more muscles in your body, which indicates better performance of metabolism.
Physical Activities: One can boost metabolism with the help of physical activities like walking, playing tennis and similar other movements. It helps to burn calories faster and avoid fat accumulation in the body. It assists your metabolism in performing its functions effectively.
Food Processing: Your body’s ability to process food can also affect your metabolism and calorie accumulation. The activities like digestion, abortion, transportation and storage of food can result in forming calories. Nearly 10% of calories from protein and carbs in your food are used while digesting and absorbing the food items.

What Are the Foods That Boost Metabolism?

A proper diet is essential for maintaining good health in the long run. Here are some popular foods that boost metabolism.

1. Eggs

Protein-rich items are usually considered the best kind of food to boost metabolism. Eggs are easy to cook and can be incorporated into any meal. A hardboiled egg contains 6.9g of protein, an effective nutrient for boosting metabolism.

Proteins can reduce metabolism rate up to 15%-30%. Moreover, egg whites contain branched-chain amino acids, which are also beneficial for boosting metabolism.

2. Lean Meat

As discussed already, protein-rich foods are good at increasing metabolism. Here, lean meat like chicken and turkey can be beneficial. About 100g of chicken contains 27g of protein, while 100g of turkey contains about 29g of protein.

When you include these in your diet, your body will always require more energy to fully digest the food, increasing your metabolism.

3. Lentils

These are again high in protein, which can help in boosting metabolism. About 100g of lentils contain 9g of protein. These are also packed with a good amount of fibre, which feeds the beneficial bacteria in your guts.

A 2016 research revealed that consuming lentils and other legumes such as beans and peas prevents metabolic syndrome.

4. Flaxseeds

These seeds are rich in protein, vitamins and other key nutrients. They can work wonders to prevent metabolic syndromes, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A study conducted in 2019 on mice revealed that flaxseeds could boost metabolism. These contain essential omega-3 fats and antioxidants.

Moreover, these are rich thermogenic sources, which help burn extra fats and enhance digestion and metabolism.

5. Chilli Peppers

Spicy meals containing fresh or dried red chilli peppers can be foods that increase metabolism and burn fat. According to a 2015 report, chilli peppers contain capsaicin, which can boost your metabolic rates.

It can also contribute to weight management and increase the speed of burning fat. It burns nearly 50 extra calories every day.

6. Green Tea

It has become a popular item for maintaining a healthy weight. Green tea helps to boost metabolism by burning extra calories and increasing fat oxidation. It also helps your body use stored fat to create energy, which increases the at-brining ability in your body up to 17%.

According to a study conducted in 2013 involving people with type-2 diabetes, green tea can significantly reduce body mass index and systolic blood pressure.

7. Coffee

Coffee is rich in caffeine content, which is effective for boosting metabolism. According to a report, caffeine intake might have a stimulating effect on your body's energy expenditure. This helps to boost metabolism and burn about 75 to 110 calories daily.

Caffeine also boosts energy, which you can consume as a pre-workout food. Decaffeinated coffee does not have the benefits of boosting metabolism.

8. Ginger

Adding ginger to your cooked meal can enhance your metabolism. Drinking hot water with 2g of ginger powder helps to burn up to 43 extra calories. According to a study conducted in 2018, ginger can reduce body weight and fasting glucose levels to increase good cholesterol in your body.

Moreover, it is packed with anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce nausea during pregnancy and chemotherapy treatment.

9. Brazil Nuts

These nuts are rich sources of selenium. This mineral is essential for boosting metabolism and immunity. These nuts also contain protein and healthy fats. These help to make people feel full and thereby control urges to eat.

It also helps to improve the cholesterol levels in healthy people, which helps to avoid metabolic syndrome.

10. Leafy Vegetables

When listing foods that improve metabolism, mentioning leafy vegetables is essential. Vegetables like spinach and kale can be good sources of boosting metabolism. These are also rich in iron.

Pairing these vegetables with lemons or tomatoes can increase the ability of your body to absorb iron. Including these in your daily diet can therefore improve your weight.

11. Broccoli

These are considered rich sources of metabolism. They contain a substance called glucoraphanin, which helps to control your metabolism. Moreover, it can be useful for reducing your blood fat levels and risks of ageing diseases.

Beneforte broccoli contains higher levels of this substance and can reduce your weight faster.

12. Dairy Products

Dairy items like milk, yoghurt and ghee can increase your metabolism. These provide daily calcium intake for your body, which helps it to metabolise fat efficiently.

For instance, ghee mobilises the fat cells and helps you lose stubborn fat.

13. Apple Cider Vinegar

This vinegar is popular for increasing metabolism. Vinegar, in general, is good for burning fat for increasing energy. On the other hand, apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight by slowing the process of emptying your stomach.

This enhances the feeling of fullness, which controls your urges for food cravings. This way, you can reduce your unhealthy weight.

14. Citrus Fruits

These fruits, such as lemons and grapes, are great for improving your digestion. They contain low sugar and an antioxidant. It helps you lower your blood sugar response after every meal.

Moreover, these are rich in Vitamin C, which can be important for normal fat metabolism. Lemons contain limonin, a nutrient which supports phases one and two of liver detoxification.

15. Cinnamon

Adding cinnamon to your coffee mutes the adrenaline and noradrenaline response. It will have a slow effect on glucose. High glucose levels in your body overproduce insulin. Here, cinnamon restricts the insulin response to support fat loss.

Cinnamon also cubs your cravings for sweet dishes, thereby balancing your blood sugar levels, which improves insulin sensitivity.

What Are the Health Benefits of Eating Foods that Boost Metabolism?

Knowing the foods good for metabolism, you must be curious about their health benefits. The main benefit is associated with the digestion and metabolism of the body. These food items provide more energy and help maintain a healthy weight. They can also help burn calories faster.

Therefore, as you read in this article, various foods increase metabolism. These food items can make you feel a fullness of appetite. As a result, you hardly feel the urge to eat frequently. This helps to maintain a healthy weight and avoid extra fat. They often produce ketones, which can decrease your appetite. It will help you burn fat instead of storing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Which food items end up decreasing metabolism?

Food items like refined grains, fruit juice, soda, fried food, farmed beef and alcohol might decrease metabolism. You should therefore try to avoid these food items.

When should I start a diet with food that is good for metabolism?

If you observe symptoms of slow metabolism, you should start such a diet. These symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, constant headache, constipation, depression, thinning hair, etc.