Controlling your weight may be more successful if your metabolism, the amount of energy used by your body each day, is at its maximum. Some herbs act as a stimulant or contain sympathomimetics, which are compounds that mimic the effect of the sympathetic nervous system, such as adrenaline and dopamine, and stimulate energy expenditure and fat oxidation. Certain foods may also help to encourage metabolism and calorie burning.
About Metabolism
Metabolism is the process of converting food into energy by combining calories with oxygen, which releases energy for the proper functioning of your body. The number of calories needed to carry out basic functions such as breathing, growing and repairing cells and circulating blood is your basal metabolic rate, or metabolism.
Protein
A high-protein diet that includes meat, poultry, fish and beans may improve your metabolism. Findings of a study conducted by Dr. John Briffa, a London physician, strongly suggest that the form of the calories from food have a significant impact on metabolic rate, and thus important implications for weight loss and maintaining health. The study, published in "The Epoch Times" reported that eating a diet rich in protein might enhance the rate at which protein is broken down and assimilated in the body. Additionally, a protein-rich diet may preserve muscle mass, further enhancing metabolic rate.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract may aid in fat metabolism and increase energy. Studies conducted at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, concluded that green tea raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation in weight loss programs. Subjects taking green tea extract had more that a 4-percent increase in daily energy expenditure as compared with the placebo group. Green tea is known to have thermogenic properties, which promote fat oxidation and may help dieters to lose weight.
Vitamin C Foods
Citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes and mangos may all help to increase metabolism. A 2001 study at the University of Colorado in Boulder investigated the declining metabolic rate in older adults related to increased oxidative stress. Resting metabolism was measured before and after a vitamin C infusion. Findings were that resting metabolism increased an average of about 100 calories per day. The study concluded that vitamin C helped remove oxidative stress leading to a significant increase in resting metabolism, especially in older adults.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which may stimulate digestion and increase metabolism and fat burning. A study conducted at Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Japan, and published in the "Journal of Nutrition," in 2009, found that capsaicin increased lipid metabolism in rats, markedly those on a high-fat diet.
References
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Bioactive Food Stimulants of Sympathetic Activity: Effect on 24-h Energy Expenditure and Fat Oxidation
- Mayo Clinic: Metabolism:Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories
- The Epoch Times: Health: Protein-Rich Diet Can Speed Up Metabolism
- Efficacy of a Green Tea Extract Rich in Catechin Polyphenols and Caffeine in Increasing 24-h Energy Expenditure and Fat Oxidation in Humans; Abdul G Dulloo et al; 1999
- University of Colorado: Vitamin C May Help "Juice Up" Metabolism In Older Adults, Offsetting Weight Gain
- The "Journal of Nutrition": Effects of Capsaicin on Lipid Metabolism in Rats Fed a High Fat Diet; Teruo Kawada et al; 1986
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