Many wonder about their persistent weight gain, some even try as much as possible to practice portion control and other habits of weight loss. However, they refuse to eat wisely as they do not know there are certain foods that aid in boosting metabolism and thus make weight loss easy. TalkGlitz is here to let you know 8 foods that boost your body metabolism. The foods are discussed below:
- Water
Drinking enough water is a great way to stay hydrated. Drinking water may also temporarily boost metabolism by 24–30%. Researchers note that about 40% of that increase is explained by the additional calories needed to heat the water to body temperature. Yet, the effects only seem to last for 60–90 minutes after drinking it and may vary from one person to another. If you need a boost in your metabolism, drink a lot of water daily.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar may increase your metabolism. Several animal studies have shown vinegar to be particularly helpful in increasing the amount of fat burned for energy. In one study, mice given vinegar experienced an increase in the AMPK enzyme, which prompts the body to decrease fat storage and increase fat burning. In another study, obese rats treated with vinegar experienced an increase in the expression of certain genes, leading to reduced liver fat and belly fat storage. Apple cider vinegar is often claimed to boost metabolism in humans, but few studies have investigated the matter directly. Nevertheless, apple cider vinegar may still help you lose weight in other ways, such as slowing stomach emptying and enhancing feelings of fullness. One study in humans even showed that participants given four teaspoons (20 ml) of apple cider vinegar ate up to 275 fewer calories over the rest of the day . If you’d like to give apple cider vinegar a try, be careful to limit your daily consumption to two tablespoons (30 ml).
- Metabolism-Boosting Spices
Certain spices are thought to have particularly beneficial metabolism-boosting properties. For instance, research shows that dissolving 2 grams of ginger powder in hot water and drinking it with a meal may help you burn up to 43 more calories than drinking hot water alone. This hot ginger drink also seems to decrease levels of hunger and enhance feelings of satiety. Grains of paradise, another spice in the ginger family, may have similar effects. A recent study reported that participants given a 40-mg extract of grains of paradise burned 43 more calories in the following two hours than those given a placebo. That said, researchers also noted that part of the participants were non-responders, so the effects may vary from one person to another. Similarly, adding cayenne pepper to your meal may increase the amount of fat your body burns for energy, especially following a high-fat meal. However, this fat-burning effect may only apply to people unaccustomed to consuming spicy foods.
- Legumes and Pulses
Legumes and pulses, such as lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans and peanuts, are particularly high in protein compared to other plant foods. Studies suggest that their high protein content requires your body to burn a greater number of calories to digest them, compared to lower-protein foods. Legumes also contain a good amount of dietary fiber, such as resistant starch and soluble fiber, which your body can use to feed the good bacteria living in your intestines.
In turn, these friendly bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids, which may help your body use stored fat as energy and maintain normal blood sugar levels. In one study, humans consuming a legume-rich diet for eight weeks experienced beneficial changes in metabolism and lost 1.5 times more weight than the control group. Legumes are also high in arginine, an amino acid that may increase the amount of carbs and fat your body can burn for energy. In addition, peas, faba beans and lentils also contain substantial amounts of the amino acid glutamine, which may help increase the number of calories burned during digestion
- Teas ( Green Tea & oolong)
According to research, the combination of caffeine and catechins that’s found in tea may work to boost your metabolism. In particular, both oolong and green tea may increase metabolism by 4–10%. This could add up to burning an extra 100 calories per day. These teas help convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may increase fat burning by 10–17%. As they are low in calories, drinking these teas may be good for both weight loss and weight maintenance. It’s thought their metabolism-boosting properties may help prevent the dreaded weight loss plateau that occurs due to a decrease in metabolism. However, some studies find that these teas do not affect metabolism. Therefore, their effect may be small or only apply to some people
- Chili Peppers
Capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers, may boost your metabolism by increasing the number of calories and fat you burn. In fact, a review of 20 research studies reports that capsaicin can help your body burn around 50 extra calories per day. This effect was initially observed after taking 135–150 mg of capsaicin per day, but some studies report similar benefits with doses as low as 9–10 mg per day. Moreover, capsaicin may have appetite-reducing properties. According to a recent study, consuming 2 mg of capsaicin directly before each meal seems to reduce the number of calories consumed, especially from carbs. That said, not all studies agree on capsaicin’s metabolism-boosting abilities
- Protein-Rich Foods
Protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds, could help increase your metabolism for a few hours. They do so by requiring your body to use more energy to digest them. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). The TEF refers to the number of calories needed by your body to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meals. Research shows that protein-rich foods increase TEF the most. For example, they increase your metabolic rate by 15–30%, compared to 5–10% for carbs and 0–3% for fats. Protein-rich diets also reduce the drop in metabolism often seen during weight loss by helping your body hold on to its muscle mass. What’s more, protein may also help keep you fuller for longer, which can prevent overeating.
- Replace Cooking Fats With Coconut Oil
Unlike other saturated fats, coconut oil is relatively high in medium-chain fats. Medium-chain fats can increase your metabolism more than the long-chain fats found in foods like butter. In one study, researchers found that medium-chain fats increased metabolism by 12% compared to long-chain fats, which raised it by just 4%. Due to the unique fatty acid profile of coconut oil, replacing some of your other cooking fats with it may have modest benefits for weight loss
