Nutrition Journal. November 27, Avocados, Raw, All Commercial Varieties. April 1, Dror T, Dickstein Y, Dubourg G, Paul M. Microbiota Manipulation for Weight Change. Microbial Pathogenesis. May Zheng J, Zheng S, Feng Q, et al.

Dietary Capsaicin and Its Anti-Obesity Potency: From Mechanism to Clinical Implications. Bioscience Reports. June 30, Kim SJ, de Souza RJ, Choo VL, et al.

Effects of Dietary Pulse Consumption on Body Weight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Eating Beans, Peas, Chickpeas or Lentils May Help Lose Weight and Keep It Off.

March 30, Karl JP, Meydani M, Barnett JB, et al. Substituting Whole Grains for Refined Grains in a 6-Wk Randomized Trial Favorably Affects Energy-Balance Metrics in Healthy Men and Postmenopausal Women.

March Vander Wal JS, Gupta A, Khosla P, Dhurandhar NV. Egg Breakfast Enhances Weight Loss. International Journal of Obesity. October Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet. December 10, Mozaffarian D, Hao T, Rimm EB, et al. Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men.

The New England Journal of Medicine. June 23, Casperson SL, Hall C, Roemmich JN. Postprandial Energy Metabolism and Substrate Oxidation in Response to the Inclusion of a Sugar- or Non-Nutritive Sweetened Beverage With Meals Differing in Protein Content.

BMC Nutrition. July 21, Traversy G, Chaput JP. Alcohol Consumption and Obesity: An Update. Current Obesity Reports. Deol P, Fahrmann J, Yang J, et al. Omega-6 and Omega-3 Oxylipins Are Implicated in Soybean Oil-Induced Obesity in Mice.

Scientific Reports. October 2, Metabolism often slows down due to things out of our control, including aging and genetics. However, there are some healthy changes you can make, like eating right and exercising, to help boost your metabolism.

The healthier your body is, the better your metabolism may work. Try these 12 healthy foods, recommended by UnityPoint Health dietitian Allie Bohlman. Many are rich in fiber or protein, which can make you feel full longer and support weight loss efforts.

Remember, metabolism is just one piece of the weight-loss puzzle. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Fish salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Your body burns slightly more calories digesting protein than fat and carbohydrates.

Tip: The American Heart Association recommends people should eat fatty fish at least two times per week. Take an omega-3 fatty acid vegetarian-friendly or fish oil supplement.

Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Legume is a general term used to describe the seeds of plants that are in pods. They include high-protein black bean, chickpeas and kidney beans. Tip: Add legumes in an easy and affordable way by putting canned beans on your shopping list.

Try tossing beans in salads, soup recipes or pasta dishes. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Hot peppers like chili peppers and jalapeños contain the chemical capsaicin, which gives these vegetables their heat. Tip: Grill, stuff, steam, bake or stir-fry a serving of peppers, or serve them raw to pair with low-fat dips or cottage cheese.

Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Chicken, turkey and other protein-packed lean meats take more energy for your body to break down than carbohydrate or fat-rich foods, therefore, burning slightly more calories during the digestive process.

Tip: Trim off any visible fat from meat and poultry, including the skin. Low-fat cooking methods include broiling, roasting, sautéing, grilling and baking.

Metabolism-Boosting Powers: The calcium and vitamin D found in milk are essential for building dense muscle mass, which is important for overall health. Tip: Add low-fat milk instead of water to oatmeal, hot cereals and condensed cream soup. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family.

It is not always possible for a person to change their metabolic rate, but exercise and dietary measures may help. A good metabolic rate may help with weight management.

But for those seeking to lose weight, it is better to focus on eating a varied diet with plenty of whole foods and being physically active.

While some foods, such as spices, may help boost rates temporarily, they are not a long term solution. It is always best to speak with a doctor before adjusting the diet or making changes to an exercise routine.

Metabolism is the process the body uses to break down food and nutrients for energy, as well as to support different body functions. What people eat…. Metabolism involves biochemical reactions in the body and is central to maintaining life.

What are the myths and facts of metabolism? Can you speed…. The Everlywell Metabolism Test measures the levels of cortisol, thyroid stimulating hormone, and free testosterone in the body.

Learn what the results…. Recent evidence suggests that a plant-based diet can aid weight loss by improving metabolism and reducing the amount of fat that accumulates around….

Researchers say bariatric surgery can help with weight loss, but it can also help improve cognitive functions including memory.

My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health? Why Parkinson's research is zooming in on the gut Tools General Health Drugs A-Z Health Hubs Health Tools Find a Doctor BMI Calculators and Charts Blood Pressure Chart: Ranges and Guide Breast Cancer: Self-Examination Guide Sleep Calculator Quizzes RA Myths vs Facts Type 2 Diabetes: Managing Blood Sugar Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction Connect About Medical News Today Who We Are Our Editorial Process Content Integrity Conscious Language Newsletters Sign Up Follow Us.

Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. How to increase your metabolism. Medically reviewed by Adam Bernstein, MD, ScD — By Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on December 9, Eat at regular times.

Eat enough calories. Eat more protein. Drink green tea. Do resistance training. Drink enough water. Reduce stress. Get enough sleep.

Get enough vitamins. Spice up your meals. Seek treatment for hypothyroidism. Frequently asked questions. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Share this article.

Latest news Ovarian tissue freezing may help delay, and even prevent menopause. RSV vaccine errors in babies, pregnant people: Should you be worried? Scientists discover biological mechanism of hearing loss caused by loud noise — and find a way to prevent it.

How gastric bypass surgery can help with type 2 diabetes remission. Atlantic diet may help prevent metabolic syndrome.

If this type of exercise is safe for you, it can help indirectly speed up your metabolism. Your muscle cells will burn energy at rest, which helps you burn fat and build muscle. This effect is believed to be greater for HIIT than for other types of exercise.

To get started, choose a modality, such as biking or running, that you are already familiar with. Mixing up your exercise routine and adding in a few high-intensity workouts can boost your metabolism and help you burn fat.

Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Building muscle can help increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories each day, even at rest.

Lifting weights can also help you retain muscle and counter the drop in metabolism that can occur during weight loss. Lifting weights can help build and retain muscle. Higher amounts of muscle will result in a higher metabolism. Sitting too much can have negative effects on your health, partly because long periods of sitting burn fewer calories and can lead to weight gain.

However, stepping rather than standing resulted in greater improvements to lower systolic blood pressure and insulin resistance. If you have a desk job, try standing up and walking for short periods to break up the length of time you spend sitting down.

You can also try going for walks during the day or invest in a standing desk. In a study , researchers found that doing this resulted in reduced blood insulin and sugar. Sitting for a long time burns few calories and may negatively affect your health.

Try standing up or taking walks regularly or investing in a standing desk. Green tea and oolong tea help convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may indirectly increase fat burning when combined with exercise.

However, some older research suggests that these teas do not affect metabolism. Therefore, their effect may be small or only apply to some people. Drinking green tea or oolong tea may affect your gut microbiome, which may be influencing the way your body breaks down fats, but research is mixed.

Peppers contain capsaicin , a compound that can boost your metabolism. For instance, one review evaluated the effects of capsaicin at acceptable doses. It predicted that eating peppers would burn around 10 additional calories per meal. Over 6. Alone, the effects of adding spices to your food may be quite small.

However, it may lead to a slight advantage when combined with other metabolism-boosting strategies. Eating spicy food could be beneficial for boosting your metabolism and help you maintain a moderate weight.

However, the metabolism-boosting effect of spicy foods is quite small. Lack of sleep is linked to a major increase in the chance of obesity.

This could explain why many people who are sleep-deprived often feel hungry and may have difficulty losing weight or may gain weight. In a study , researchers also found that a lack of sleep for four nights or longer may slightly decrease how the body metabolizes fat.

Lack of sleep can affect the levels of your appetite-regulating hormones and may slightly affect how your body metabolizes fat, which may lead to weight gain. Research has shown that caffeine can trigger the body to release neurotransmitters like epinephrine , which helps regulate the way your body processes fat.

However, this effect may vary based on several factors. For instance, one study found that caffeine was more effective at increasing fat burning during exercise in individuals with a less active sedentary lifestyle in comparison with trained athletes.

Drinking coffee can significantly increase your metabolism and may help you lose weight if that is your goal. They may explore underlying causes and offer you a tailored plan.

Managing any condition that slows down your metabolism, like hypothyroidism , can help make other efforts more productive. Jumpstarting your metabolism may also require you to change a few habits like a nutrient-dense diet with limited processed foods, regular physical activity , and optimum sleep hygiene that allows your body to rest and recharge.

You may also avoid doing things that slow down your metabolism like restricting too many calories or not doing any strength resistance training. Every body is different. Signs of a slow metabolism may vary individually but may include fatigue, digestive upset, not losing any weight despite your efforts, and easily gaining weight.

Only a healthcare professional may accurately assess your metabolism and the underlying causes of these symptoms. Restrictive diets may sometimes lead to a slow metabolism, among other health effects. Although for weight loss and fat burning you do want to consume fewer calories than you burn, your body still needs to get enough fuel and nutrients to perform body functions.

Instead of eating less, you may want to focus on nutritious foods and move more. Foods that boost your metabolism typically include protein such as meat, dairy, or legumes. Read more about the 12 best foods to boost your metabolism. Learn about these and other foods you can eat before bed. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit.

This means you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, or better, burn more calories than you eat. You may want to focus on healthy eating habits while you consume enough calories to support your body functions.

Consider reducing processed foods, sugar and alcohol intake, and saturated fats. Resistance training and eating an adequate amount of protein can help preserve lean body mass.

Muscle growth helps you burn more calories at rest. Making small lifestyle changes and incorporating these tips into your routine can help increase your metabolism.

Having a higher metabolism can help you lose weight and keep it off, if that is your goal, while also giving you more energy. Try this today: In addition to trying the tips outlined above, you can also add more metabolism-boosting foods to your diet.

Check out this article for a list of some nutritious foods that can support your metabolism. What to do: Choose foods for their good nutrition and taste. Eat a variety of healthy foods that fill you up without filling you out.

Unfortunately, there is little scientific evidence that eating small, frequent meals boosts metabolism.

Spreading your meals throughout the day might keep you from getting too hungry and overeating. If so, it is a good idea.

Athletes perform better when they eat more often in smaller amounts. If you are someone who has a hard time stopping once you start eating, 3 meals a day may make it easier for you to stick to an appropriate intake than lots of little snacks. What to do: Pay attention to your hunger cues and eat when you feel hungry.

Keep track of your daily diet and limit high-sugar, high-fat snacks. A good night's sleep will not boost your metabolism but going without sleep can add weight. Sleep-deprived people tend to eat more calories than they need, possibly to deal with feeling tired. What to do: Plan your schedule so you have enough time for sleep.

If you have trouble sleeping, look into ways to unwind before bedtime and make your bedroom comfortable for sleep. Talk to your health care provider if self-care tips for better sleep do not help. While it is true that our metabolism is slower than when we were kids, a lot of mid-life weight gain happens because we become less active.

Jobs and family push exercise to the back burner. When we do not move as much, we lose muscle and gain fat. As you get older, you may also have trouble regulating your meals. After a big meal, younger people tend to eat less until their bodies use up the calories.

This natural appetite control seems to fade as people get older. Unless you pay close attention, big meals can quickly add up. What to do: As you get older, it is important to make exercise a regular part of every day.

By staying active and sticking with smaller portions of healthy foods, you can ward off weight gain as you age. Cowley MA, Brown WA, Considine RV. Obesity: the problem and its management.

In: Jameson JL, De Groot LJ, de Kretser DM, et al, eds. Endocrinology: Adult and Pediatric. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; chap Maratos-Flier E. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. Editorial team. Can you boost your metabolism? Here are the facts on 6 metabolism myths. Myth 1: Exercise boosts your metabolism long after you stop. Myth 2: Adding muscle will help you lose weight.

Mol Metab. Kastenmüller G, Raffler J, Gieger C, Suhre K. Genetics of human metabolism: an update. Hum Mol Genet. Yoo J, Fu Q. Impact of sex and age on metabolism, sympathetic activity, and hypertension. FASEB j. Pesta DH, Samuel VT.

A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: Mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutr Metab Lond. Vij VA, Joshi AS. Effect of 'water induced thermogenesis' on body weight, body mass index and body composition of overweight subjects. J Clin Diagn Res.

Wingfield HL, Smith-Ryan AE, Melvin MN, et al. The acute effect of exercise modality and nutrition manipulations on post-exercise resting energy expenditure and respiratory exchange ratio in women: a randomized trial. Sports Med Open.

Stavres JR, Zeigler MP, Bayles MP. Six weeks of moderate functional resistance training increases basal metabolic rate in sedentary adult women. Int J Exerc Sci. Esmaeelpanah E, Razavi BM, Hosseinzadeh H.

Green tea and metabolic syndrome: A year research update review. Iran J Basic Med Sci. Ao Z, Huang Z, Liu H. Spicy food and chili peppers and multiple health outcomes: Umbrella review. Molecular Nutrition Food Res. So-ngern A, Chirakalwasan N, Saetung S, Chanprasertyothin S, Thakkinstian A, Reutrakul S.

Effects of two-week sleep extension on glucose metabolism in chronically sleep-deprived individuals. J Clin Sleep Medi. Alperet DJ, Rebello SA, Khoo EYH, et al.

The effect of coffee consumption on insulin sensitivity and other biological risk factors for type 2 diabetes: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. American J Clin Nutrition. Ohkawara K, Cornier MA, Kohrt WM, Melanson EL. Effects of increased meal frequency on fat oxidation and perceived hunger.

Obesity Silver Spring. Yates T, Edwardson CL, Celis-Morales C, et al. Metabolic effects of breaking prolonged sitting with standing or light walking in older South Asians and White Europeans: A randomized acute study.

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy eating for healthy weight. Coping with stress. Wilson SA, Stem LA, Bruehlman RD.

Hypothyroidism: diagnosis and treatment. Am Fam Physician. By Mark Gurarie Mark Gurarie is a freelance writer, editor, and adjunct lecturer of writing composition at George Washington University.

Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising.

Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources.

Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Diet and Nutrition. By Mark Gurarie. Medically reviewed by Karina Tolentino, RD.

Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Factors Affecting Metabolism. Boosting It Naturally. Other Ways to Increase It. Signs of Slow Metabolism. Healthy Snacks If you snack, choose nutrient-dense options over foods like cookies, chips, and those with added salts and sugars.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. See Our Editorial Process.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board. Share Feedback. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Related Articles. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page.

These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data. Within an hour or so after your workout, you'll return to your RMR. Instead, exercising regularly and intentionally, along with eating balanced meals, can help you get the most out of your metabolism.

Trans fats aren't just bad for your heart—they also slow down your body's ability to burn fat. Trans fats can negatively impact how your body metabolizes essential macronutrients your body needs, like the lipids in your blood and fatty acids.

Eating trans fat can cause insulin resistance and inflammation—two factors related to conditions that indicate problems with metabolism, like diabetes and obesity.

Foods high in trans fats include many commercial baked goods and fried foods. Your body takes more time to break down protein than fat or carbs, so you end up feeling fuller for longer.

Because it takes longer to burn protein than carbs or fat, your body uses more energy absorbing the nutrients in a high-protein diet. A quick way to get in more protein is to add whey to a smoothie. Fat oxidation, the process of breaking down fatty acids, and the thermic effect, the extra energy your body needs during digestion, was greater with whey than with soy or casein.

Caffeine speeds up your central nervous system, and that can boost your metabolism. What's more, coffee can give you energy and antioxidants. Coffee also improves energy levels during exercise, helping you work harder and longer and burn more calories in the process.

However, the boost that your metabolism gets from caffeine will be small, and you probably won't notice any change in weight because of it. Green tea and oolong tea may also help increase metabolism. Research has suggested both teas may be able to help you burn more fat. Unfortunately, the effects of the added fat-burning boost from tea won't be enough to affect a person's weight.

It might be beneficial for your metabolism to stand, when possible, or just move around if you're sitting for long periods. Whenever you're physically active and moving, you can burn more calories compared to if you're stationary or seated.

One of the benefits of less stress is a better metabolism: Research suggests that when you're stressed out, your metabolism stalls. There are a few possible reasons for this, but one is that chronic stress stimulates the production of betatrophin, a protein that inhibits an enzyme needed to break down fat.

De-stressing may not always be easy, but it can be achievable in some cases. You can reduce stress by doing something that you enjoy but also find relaxing, like reading a book or taking a walk.

Research has found that sleep is important for regulating your metabolism. One study's findings indicated that, after a few days of sleep deprivation , study participants felt less full after eating and metabolized the fat in their food differently. While getting enough sleep isn't exactly a boost to your metabolism, it can keep you from experiencing weight gain.

It's recommended that adults get at least seven hours of sleep a night. If you're having a hard time hitting seven hours a night, try getting into new bedtime habits that will help you get a full night of sleep.

Your metabolism can be affected by different factors, but it's possible to boost it. Regular movement, including activities like strength and interval training, making changes to your diet, and getting enough sleep are all ways to see potential improvements to your metabolism.

A combination of drinking enough water, getting enough exercise, and eating a healthy balanced diet can help your metabolism burn fat. Chili peppers, cocoa, nuts, and green tea have all been suggested to have a positive effect on metabolism.

However, nutrient-rich foods in general can be beneficial for metabolism. It may be possible for dieting to have an effect on metabolism. However, more research is necessary to determine what exact conclusions can be drawn between diets and metabolism.

Mcmurray RG, Soares J, Caspersen CJ, Mccurdy T. Examining Variations of Resting Metabolic Rate of Adults: A Public Health Perspective. Can you boost your metabolism? Atakan MM, Li Y, Koşar ŞN, Turnagöl HH, Yan X. Evidence-based effects of high-intensity interval training on exercise capacity and health: a review with historical perspective.

Tan J, Krasilshchikov O, Kuan G, et al. The effects of combining aerobic and heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle hypertrophy, and exercise satisfaction in physically active adults. Muscle cells vs. fat cells. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How much physical activity do adults need? Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Metabolism myths and facts.

Martin A, Fox D, Murphy CA, Hofmann H, Koehler K. Tissue losses and metabolic adaptations both contribute to the reduction in resting metabolic rate following weight loss. Int J Obes. American Council on Exercise. World Health Organization. Indicator metadata registry details. Chen Y kun, Liu T ting, Teia FKF, Xie M zhou.

Exploring the underlying mechanisms of obesity and diabetes and the potential of Traditional Chinese Medicine: an overview of the literature. Front Endocrinol. Saito M, Matsushita M, Yoneshiro T, Okamatsu-Ogura Y. Brown Adipose Tissue, Diet-Induced Thermogenesis, and Thermogenic Food Ingredients: From Mice to Men.

Fekete ÁA, Giromini C, Chatzidiakou Y, Givens DI, Lovegrove JA. Whey protein lowers blood pressure and improves endothelial function and lipid biomarkers in adults with prehypertension and mild hypertension: results from the chronic Whey2Go randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Górecki M, Hallmann E. The antioxidant content of coffee and its in vitro activity as an effect of its production method and roasting and brewing time. Torquati L, Peeters G, Brown WJ, Skinner TL.

A Daily Cup of Tea or Coffee May Keep You Moving: Association Between Tea and Coffee Consumption and Physical Activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Zhang S, Takano J, Murayama N, et al. Subacute ingestion of caffeine and oolong tea increases fat oxidation without affecting energy expenditure and sleep architecture: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded cross-over trial.