Does Hot Food Increase Metabolism?

Many people can benefit from a faster metabolism. While your metabolism or how many calories you burn while at rest is highly influenced by genetic factors, there are several ways to increase your metabolism, such as building muscle and eating more often. Many people think that eating "hot" or spicy food will increase their metabolism. While this is true, the boost is only temporary and will not make a significant impact on your calorie expenditure.

Temporary Metabolic Increase

Registered Dietitian, Shari Lieberman, author of "Dare to Lose" reports that Thai and Mexican dishes that include hot peppers are particularly good at boosting your metabolism. According to Penn State University, if a food makes you "pant" or "sweat," chances are it has metabolic boosting effects. Spicy foods can boost your metabolism up to 20 percent for up to 30 minutes, according to clinical nutrition specialist Dr. Jonny Bowden in his book "Living Low Carb."

Insignificant Caloric Expenditure

Although hot and spicy foods can increase your metabolism, the metabolic boost is not enough to significantly increase your caloric expenditure, according to Dr. Len Kravitz, professor of exercise physiology at New Mexico University. Eating hot and spicy foods slightly elevates your body temperature, which increases your metabolic rate. Dr. Kravitz notes that the metabolic increases are only "small increments," not enough to create any sort of lasting weight loss.

Increasing Metabolism

Although eating hot or spicy foods does not effectively increase your metabolism, Illinois State University lists several things that might. First, eating four to six small meals a day does increase your metabolism. Opt for this protocol instead of the traditional three large meals that most people eat. Second, building muscle increases your metabolism and caloric expenditure. Dr. Bowden reports that a pound of fat burns 3 calories a day while a pound of muscle burns 30 calories a day. Third, make sure you are eating enough calories. Even on a weight-loss diet, the average adult still needs about 2,000 calories a day, according to the University of Illinois. Eating 1,000 calories or less per day has the same effect as "total starvation," according to the University of California, Los Angeles.

Weight Loss

Many people want to increase their metabolism to lose weight. It is important to understand that simply increasing your metabolism does not cause you to lose weight. The University of Illinois explains that weight loss is a matter of "simple math": caloric consumption versus caloric expenditure. Even if you increase your metabolic rate by eating more often and building muscle, you still need to consume fewer calories than you burn to lose weight.