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.

Hodgson AB, Randell RK, Jeukendrup AE. The Effect of Green Tea Extract on Fat Oxidation at Rest and during Exercise: Evidence of Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms.

Advances in Nutrition. Ways to burn more calories every day. Zhang Y, Li S, Donelan W, et al. Angiopoietin-like protein 8 Betatrophin is a stress-response protein that down-regulates expression of adipocyte triglyceride lipase.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta BBA - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids. Ness KM, Strayer SM, Nahmod NG, et al. Four nights of sleep restriction suppress the postprandial lipemic response and decrease satiety. Journal of Lipid Research. How much sleep do I need? El-Zayat SR, Sibaii H, El-Shamy KA.

Physiological process of fat loss. Bulletin of the National Research Centre. Bo S, Fadda M, Fedele D, Pellegrini M, Ghigo E, Pellegrini N. A critical review on the role of food and nutrition in the energy balance.

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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. Wellness Nutrition Eat Well. By Korin Miller. Korin Miller. 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. Myth 3: Eating certain foods can boost your metabolism. Myth 4: Eating small meals during the day increases your metabolism. Myth 5: Getting a full night's sleep is good for your metabolism.

Myth 6: You will gain weight as you age because your metabolism slows down. Alternative Names. Weight-loss boost metabolism; Obesity - boost metabolism; Overweight - boost metabolism.

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.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Metabolism and weight are indeed connected. However, contrary to common assumptions, slow metabolism is rarely the cause of weight gain.

In reality, the amount of calories you consume, how much energy you need and how active you are determine your weight. A variety of things can be affected, such as your waist circumference and strength level. A study shows that a higher metabolic rate burns more calories at rest [ 1 ].

Metabolic health depends on the levels of five markers: blood sugar, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol, blood pressure and waist circumference. Having these indicators at the proper levels is considered perfect metabolic health [ 2 ]. It involves the chemical reactions required for living, such as converting food and drinks into energy.

There exists a close relationship between metabolism and weight management. Contrary to popular belief, slow metabolism and low-calorie intake can give you perfect weight. Therefore, poor metabolism is not always responsible for weight gain.

On the other hand, obesity is most often a sign of poor metabolic health. Also, poor metabolic health results from an imbalance in blood sugar, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol and blood pressure.

A bigger waist circumference is also an indicator of poor metabolic health. Therefore it is imperative to look after your metabolic health before it leads to a grave health concern. Poor metabolic health seems both overt and subtle. In addition, poor metabolic health leads to fatigue, depression, infertility, baldness and other modern-day lifestyle diseases.

However, you can improve your metabolic health by changing your diet and lifestyle. Here are a few easy tips [ 3 ]:. One of the smartest methods for a long, healthy life is to keep your muscles and thus your strength and physical function on a pedestal.

In this endeavor, sufficient rather than adequate protein intake is crucial, as is physical activity. Physician and nutrition expert Ann Kulze emphasises the importance of whole foods and regular exercise in her book Eat Right for Life and in her Healthy Living School® [ 4 ].

Plant-based nutrition and physical activity that fuel an active metabolism and nurture long-term cardiometabolic health are foundational. In addition to protein and fat, metabolic scientist Ben Bikman, PhD, practises a relatively low-carb diet for himself and his family.

Princeton-trained expert on metabolic health, Alexis Cowan, PhD explains the importance of resistance training for building muscle mass.

Metabolic heat is produced by muscle. The more muscle one possesses, the more heat will be dissipated by the body. A healthy gut is a cornerstone of most health considerations. A healthy gut even supports energy expenditure. Instead, she recommends to indulge in an array of healthful foods and the incredible nutrition they extract.

For gut-metabolism recommendations, hydrate water , plant fibre , color phytonutrients and anti-oxidants , with high-quality protein and healthy fats mainly omega-3s and omega-9s. Cowan concurs, recommending a diet high in protein to maintain and build muscle and polyphenols to reduce inflammation and optimise the gut microbiome.

According to Harvard psychiatrist and author of Brain Energy Chris Palmer, MD, working at the intersection of metabolic and mental health. 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….

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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.

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In simplest terms, metabolism is the rate the body produces energy from the food we eat through many complex biochemical processes. Metabolism is regulated by the thyroid gland, and every person metabolizes at a slightly different rate. High says the market is full of metabolism pills or products claiming to speed up metabolism, but in reality, no supplements actually boost metabolism significantly.

She explains there are two safe and easy ways to increase metabolism: eating a healthy breakfast and strength training. While eating breakfast can help speed up metabolism, High stresses there are no magic foods that boost metabolism, and it is important to recognize the value, or lack there-of, in the foods we eat.

Swapping out high-carb foods for high-protein foods will increase the amount of energy the body uses to digest food, burning more calories in the digestion process alone. This is why paying attention to the nutritional content of our foods is so valuable.

Strength training helps boost metabolism because it builds muscle tone, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. She also says age can take a negative impact on metabolism, as muscle mass is usually shown to decrease while body fat increases the older we get.

Reducing calories may not increase metabolic rate, but the choice of foods that provide those calories may do. Protein, for example, may be more likely than carbohydrates or fat to promote thermogenesis, the burning of calories in the body.

Those who consumed a higher proportion of protein burned more energy than those who consumed less. Some research has suggested that green tea extract may play a role in promoting fat metabolism. While the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says any increase is likely to be small, green tea may help manage weight and health in other ways.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says it is safe to consume up to 8 cups of green tea a day.

People should speak with a doctor before increasing their intake of green tea or consuming it during pregnancy. It may interact with some medications. During pregnancy, it may increase the risk of birth defects due to low folic acid levels. Does green tea help with weight loss? The authors of a small study found that combining resistance training with dietary measures led to a slight increase in metabolic rate, but it was not statistically significant.

Participants who did only resistance training saw a reduction in fat mass and an increase in lean mass. Research suggests that when a person has more muscle mass, their body uses food for energy more effectively.

In other words, their metabolism is less wasteful. The researchers suggested that fat free mass lean mass and thyroid hormone levels might help account for the variability. Resistance training may involve lifting weights and doing exercises that use the weight of the body or resistance bands to build muscle.

A previous study , from , found that high intensity interval resistance training also increased metabolic rate. Interval training is highly intensive and may be more suitable for people who are already fit than those who are new to regular exercise.

How can exercise help you build muscle? Staying hydrated is essential for the body to function at its best. Water is necessary for optimal metabolism, and it may help a person lose weight. In , scientists assessed the metabolic rate of 13 people who consumed either or milliliters ml of water.

They found evidence of increased fat oxidation after ml when a person is at rest, and concluded that drinking water may have an impact on metabolism.

However, they did not find that it increased metabolic rate. This may happen because the additional water helps the body burn fat preferentially over carbohydrate.

How much water should I drink each day? Stress affects hormone levels, and it can cause the body to produce more cortisol than usual. Cortisol is a hormone that helps regulate appetite. In , researchers found unusually high cortisol levels in people with disordered eating. The body releases cortisol in times of stress.

However, the authors of a small study found no evidence linking resting metabolic rate and anxiety. Stress could also have an indirect impact by affecting eating patterns and sleep, both of which can alter the rate of metabolism. Why does stress happen, and how can I manage it?

People who have less sleep may have a lower metabolic rate, according to research from The study took place in a sleep laboratory, and participants slept 4 hours per night for 5 nights followed by one night of 12 hours sleep.

Their metabolic rate fell after the nights with little sleep but returned to their usual levels after the night of recovery sleep.

The authors believed the body reduces metabolic rate to conserve energy when a person sleeps less. They noted this could lead to weight gain in people who do not get enough sleep. The need for sleep varies between individuals, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommend that adults aged 18—60 should have at least 7 hours per night.

What should you do if you have trouble sleeping? The results of a rodent experiment from suggested that a low intake of various B vitamins could impact the rate at which the body metabolizes lipids, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

More research may be needed to understand the relationship between vitamins, metabolism, and weight loss. A complete guide to B vitamins, types, sources, and more.

Some research has suggested that eating spices such as chili, which contains capsaicin, can increase metabolic rate, including the rate at which the body burns fat and uses energy.

A study from China found that people who ate spicy food every day were more likely to have a high body mass index BMI than those who did not. The researchers noted that more investigations are needed to find out why this happens. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that while eating hot chilies might boost metabolic rate temporarily, it is unlikely to have a significant impact.

What are some healthy herbs and spices? Thyroid hormone stimulates the production of substances that increase oxygen consumption, respiration rate, and body temperature.

This involves a higher rate of energy consumption. Conversely, the body of a person with hypothyroidism is likely to burn energy at lower rate. Their metabolic rate may be slower, and they may have a higher risk of weight gain and obesity.

For those with hypothyroidism, taking medications that increase the levels of thyroid hormone can increase their resting metabolic rate. Seeking help for hypothyroidism can help speed up metabolic rate and reduce the risk of complications linked to this condition.

What is hypothyroidism and how can you recognize it? Metabolic rate refers to the rate at which the body uses energy and burns calories. The body uses most of its energy this way. Metabolic rates vary widely between individuals, so it is not possible to specify a standard or high metabolic rate.

However, the higher the rate, the quicker a person will use the energy they take in from food, which may reduce the chance of weight gain.

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.