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Important Phone Numbers. Topic Contents Overview Related Information Credits. Top of the page. Overview How is it that two people of the same age, gender, and height can eat the same foods and be equally active, but one gains weight while the other loses it? The age-metabolism-body fat equation As you age, your metabolism naturally slows down.

Taking steps to raise your metabolism helps you to: Burn extra food calories before they get stored as body fat. Burn off extra body fat that you already have. What to do When you eat more calories than your body burns in a day, they're stored mainly in your fat cells as body fat. To boost your metabolism and help manage your weight: Be more active.

When you exercise, your metabolism speeds up. For a few hours afterward, it stays slightly higher. And over time, regular exercise builds muscle. The more muscle you have, the more of a boost your resting metabolism gets. And remember that any added physical activity makes a difference in your health.

Eat smart. That means eating less fat and eating more fibre and complex carbohydrate carbs —which you get from fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods.

Eat protein foods. And make water your drink of choice. For each snack or meal, include a little fat and some protein along with carbs. Also limit alcohol and sugar, which have lots of calories but offer no nutrition.

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. Unlike refined grains, whole grains contain fill-you-up fiber, are anti-inflammatory, and may be beneficial for weight management.

Study participants who substituted whole grains for refined also had increased calorie loss during digestion. Research published in the International Journal of Obesity looked at overweight and obese adults over an eight-week period.

Two sets of participants went on a diet that reduced their energy intake by 1, calories a day. One of these groups ate two eggs for at least five days a week for breakfast and the other group consumed the same amount of calories but ate bagels.

The egg eaters lost 65 percent more body weight, 16 percent more body fat, had a 61 percent greater reduction in body mass index BMI and a 34 percent greater reduction in waist circumference. The study also looked at two other groups of participants, who did not go on a reduced-calorie diet but followed the same egg or bagel plan.

No statistical differences in weight or fat loss were shown between these sets. Refined grains have the germ and bran removed. This gives them a finer texture and longer storage life, according to Mayo Clinic.

You can find them in white bread, white pasta, white rice, many pastry items, and processed, packaged foods. Unfortunately, they can sabotage weight loss. A study linked a weight gain of 0.

Refined grains contain empty calories, lack fiber, and can cause blood sugar spikes. A study found that eating a high-protein meal with a sugar-sweetened drink may negatively impact energy balance, reduce fat metabolism, and cause the body to store more fat.

Since alcohol consumption also negatively affects blood sugar , you might crave sugary foods after a few glasses of wine and the next day feel unmotivated to exercise. A review found that heavy drinking and binge drinking are associated with an increased risk for obesity.

Instead, look for granola made with percent whole grains, nuts, and a limited amount of dried fruit, and avoid those with added sugar and oils. Soybean oil is high in calories and omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation and may contribute to weight gain. A study noted that soybean oil is the component in the American diet that has increased the most over the past century, paralleling a rise in obesity.

Decreasing omega-6 fatty acids and increasing omega-3 fatty acids can aid weight loss, according to a review. Swap soybean oil and other oils high in omega-6 fatty acids for olive oil or flaxseed oil, or eat fatty fish such as salmon. Rather than making a swap in this case, avoid the processed food altogether and choose whole foods.

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Medically Reviewed. Roxana Ehsani, RD, LDN. What Is Metabolism, and How Does It Work? What Affects Our Metabolism, for Better or Worse? How Does Eating Certain Foods Help Rev Up Your Metabolism? Six of the Best Foods to Help Boost Your Metabolism 1.

For instance, your metabolism slows as you age. Also, if you choose practices to help increase your metabolism, you won't necessarily burn more calories or lose weight. Here's what to know about 11 ways to experience improvements in your metabolism.

Interval training—like high-intensity interval training HIIT —is one way to give your metabolism a boost. This type of training can help you take in more oxygen and allow mitochondria, small organs with a cell that help give cells energy, to work harder for energy burn.

When you run, swim, or bike, try to intensify your pace for second intervals before returning to your normal speed. However, ensure you don't overdo interval training. Too much interval training can decrease mitochondrial functioning, glucose tolerance, and insulin release.

Resistance training, also known as strength training, is also an important way to increase metabolism, strength, and endurance. Building muscle through physical activity like strength training can help add some speed to your metabolism, as fat uses fewer calories compared to muscles.

However, the key is to keep your muscles moving to achieve the metabolic benefits. As part of your weekly exercise, you can add in strength training sessions to help your metabolism and make yourself stronger. When you eat significantly fewer calories than normal, your body can adapt to using fewer calories.

This adaptation doesn't help metabolism. To keep your metabolism from slowing while trying to lose weight, you'll want to make sure you have enough calories to at least match your resting metabolic rate RMR. You can test for your RMR at an RMR testing site near you and work with a registered dietitian to help determine your calorie needs.

Excess postexercise oxygen consumption EPOC occurs when your body can take time to recover from an intense workout and return to its previous RMR. During this period, your body burns more calories than it normally would, even after you stop exercising.

However, the high-calorie burn won't last that long. 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.

As Americans grow stouter, the search for get-thin-quick products continues. But is there really a pill or food out there that can boost your metabolism? Simply put, your metabolism is all of the chemical processes that convert carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from your food into the energy that your cells need to function.

Your metabolic rate is the amount of time it takes your body to process and burn energy, or calories, from the food you eat. According to the Mayo Clinic , your BMR accounts for approximately 70 percent of your daily energy use. How much you move, both in general and with exercise, also reflects the total number of calories you burn.

You also burn calories digesting food, a process called diet-induced thermogenesis. Some companies sell products that supposedly boost your metabolism. Most claim they do this through a process called thermogenesis, or increased heat production. This process stimulates energy use and can increase your metabolism and help burn calories.

Most supplements that claim to raise your metabolism contain a combination of ingredients. Because these ingredients are almost always tested individually, we need to assess them on that basis.

Research has shown that caffeine can increase thermogenesis. According to a review article published in Obesity Reviews , six different studies have found that people burn more calories when they take a minimum daily dose of milligrams mg of caffeine.

To put that in perspective, most caffeine supplements contain mg of caffeine, while one cup of coffee contains about 95 mg. However, if you drink caffeine on a regular basis, this effect might be lessened. Talk to your doctor before adding more caffeine to your diet.

If you drink too many sweetened coffee drinks or chai tea, you could actually find yourself gaining weight! Capsaicin is the chemical that puts the hot in jalapeños. In fact, a review of 20 research studies, published in Appetite , found that capsaicin can increase the amount of calories you burn by approximately 50 calories a day.

Those calories can add up over time, contributing to long-term weight loss. So consider spicing it up in your kitchen! L-carnitine is a substance that helps your body turn fat into energy.

While your body produces it in your liver and kidneys, you can also find it in meat, dairy products, nuts, and legumes. L-carnitine may be helpful for treating a number of conditions, including heart disease, peripheral artery disease, and diabetic neuropathy.

But its use as a dietary supplement for weight loss is questionable. One study reported in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that L-carnitine might provide some anti-obesity benefits.

But more research is needed to assess the benefits and risks of taking L-carnitine supplements for weight loss. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements , taking too much of it can cause potentially dangerous side effects. Chromium is a mineral that your body uses in small amounts. Chromium picolinate supplements are useful for people who have a chromium deficiency.

So far, researchers have given it a thumbs-down. A pilot study reported in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that chromium picolinate supplements had no effect on weight loss. As with many supplements, research on CLA has found mixed results.

A common perception is that having a higher metabolism means you can get away with eating more while doing less, without gaining weight. The relationship between basal metabolism and weight is complicated, however, Pontzer says.

But each individual cell is not more active or burning more calories per minute just because there are more cells, Pontzer says. How much energy each of these cells uses depends on its role in the body.

Cells forming muscle, nerves or liver tissue use more energy than those forming fat. Although some factors can cause temporary changes in energy use, cells generally hum along at a rate that is sufficient for their role. One way to nudge the metabolism needle is to change the amount of some cell types by building more lean mass or muscle.

More muscle means more metabolically demanding muscle cells, which translates into a higher resting metabolism. Individual differences in this mass underlie most of the variation in metabolism from person to person, according to Urlacher. Two people with the same body weight but different proportions of lean mass to fat can eat the same number of calories and still have different weight-gain outcomes.

In terms of weight loss, the timing of a gym visit also might make a tiny difference, Urlacher says. A resting heart rate of 50 beats per minute for one person versus 70 for another just means the heart with the slower resting rate might be more efficient at getting oxygen to tissues, Pontzer says.

Despite the hype, supplements that are promoted as fat busters and metabolism boosters rarely have a significant effect on weight loss. If you want to shed excess pounds, cutting calories from your diet and exercising more regularly are probably your best bets.

Ask your doctor for more advice on losing weight in safe and sustainable ways. And talk to them before trying any weight loss medications or supplements. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Changing how your body burns calories can help you lose weight. Read more on how to increase your metabolism with your diet. What you eat affects your metabolism, making it either easier or harder to lose weight.

Here are the 11 best foods to boost your metabolism. Some people claim that certain vitamins and supplements can help you lose weight — but is that true? Learn how to tell the facts from fiction. Many supplements — including 7-Keto — claim to boost metabolism and aid weight loss.

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A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Metabolism Boosters: Weight Loss Fact or Fiction? Medically reviewed by Peggy Pletcher, M. Metabolism Boosters Takeaway Share on Pinterest. How does metabolism work? Do metabolism boosters work?

The takeaway. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. Blood flow and energy expenditure are redirected from digestion and metabolism to the muscles and the brain.

This slows your metabolic rate, and if the stress persists, this can cause long-term effects. So how can you tell if your metabolism is slow? There can be many signs, with the most common including:. The thyroid is the small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that regulates metabolism.

Low thyroid levels slow your metabolic function and raise the risk of complications, such as high cholesterol or coma. A big part of managing hypothyroidism and preventing these complications is boosting your metabolic rate.

Alongside a prescription of levothyroxine , a synthetic thyroid hormone, lifestyle and dietary changes that promote your metabolism play a key role. Metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy. Modifiable factors influencing your metabolic rate include diet, physical activity, and sleep.

Incorporating a high-protein diet, high-intensity exercise, strengthening, and better sleep habits are among the ways to boost your metabolism naturally. You may require medication if an underlying condition is affecting your metabolism.

Sabounchi NS, Rahmandad H, Ammerman A. Best-fitting prediction equations for basal metabolic rate: informing obesity interventions in diverse populations.

Int J Obes Lond. Can you boost your metabolism? Metallo CM, Heiden MGV. Understanding metabolic regulation and its influence on cell physiology. Mol Cell. Mullur R, Liu YY, Brent GA. Thyroid hormone regulation of metabolism. Physiol Rev. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Metabolic syndrome: causes and risk-factors.

Clegg DJ, Mauvais-Jarvis F. An integrated view of sex differences in metabolic physiology and disease. 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. BMR refers to the number of calories that the body burns while resting.

Many foods, including green vegetables, chili peppers, and protein sources, can boost metabolism and help people achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Other lifestyle changes that improve metabolic health include drinking enough water, getting adequate sleep, and exercise activities.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Best 10 foods to boost metabolism. Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R.

Eggs Flaxseeds Lentils Chili peppers Ginger Green tea Coffee Brazil nuts Broccoli Green vegetables Other tips Summary Certain foods contain specific nutrients that increase metabolism, the rate at which the body burns calories, among other processes.

Share on Pinterest Eggs are rich in protein and are a great option for boosting metabolism. Chili peppers. Share on Pinterest Studies suggest that capsaicin can boost metabolic rate. Green Tea. Brazil nuts. Dark, leafy green vegetables. Share on Pinterest Kale is high in iron, which is essential for metabolism.

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