Top 7 Foods for Increased Metabolism

In general, fruits containing vitamin C are good for boosting your metabolism (Image via Pexels @Pixabay)
In general, fruits containing vitamin C are good for boosting your metabolism (Image via Pexels @Pixabay)

If you are looking to lose weight, then including foods for increased metabolism in your diet is a must. It’s true that certain foods may help slightly increase your metabolic rate. In fact, your eating habits can boost metabolism for weight loss, and adding these foods to your diet may make it slightly easier to lose body fat or prevent excess weight gain.

However, eating more foods for increased metabolism doesn’t guarantee that you’ll lose weight. Instead, metabolism boosting foods complements a balanced, moderately calorie-restricted diet to promote weight loss.

Greens and protein-rich foods are always good for your metabolism (Image via Pexels @Nadine Wuchenauer)
Greens and protein-rich foods are always good for your metabolism (Image via Pexels @Nadine Wuchenauer)

Foods for Increased Metabolism: What to Eat?

Check out the below mentioned foods for increased metabolism that you can eat in order to amp up your weight loss efforts.

1) Protein-Rich Foods

Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds are examples of protein-rich foods that may help boost metabolism for a short period of time.

This is because digesting them uses more calories from your body's reserve. In scientific terms, this is what we call "thermic effect of food" (TEF). The Thermal Energy Expenditure (TEF) is the sum of the calories your body expends during digestion, absorption, and processing of food.

Protein-rich foods are always good for your metabolism (Image via Pexels @Malidate Van)
Protein-rich foods are always good for your metabolism (Image via Pexels @Malidate Van)

Nutritional sources that are high in protein have been found to have the greatest impact on total energy expenditure (TEF). For instance, in comparison to carbs (5-10%) and fats (3%), they increase your metabolic rate by 15-30%.

Protein-rich foods are definitely one of the foods for increased metabolism that you should include in your diet. Protein may also help you feel full for longer, which can cut down on snacking.


2) Mineral-Rich Foods

The roles that iron and selenium play in maintaining good health are distinct but complementary. However, they do share a common characteristic. In combination, they ensure that your thyroid gland can control your metabolism, as it should.

Studies show that if you don't get enough iron and selenium, your thyroid may not produce enough hormones, thereby slowing your metabolism. Meat, seafood, legumes, nuts, and seeds are all high in selenium and iron and can help your thyroid perform at its best. Hence, these are foods for increased metabolism that you must include in your diet.

Include high quality seafood in your diet for essential minerals like selenium and iron (Image via Pexels @Terje Sollie)
Include high quality seafood in your diet for essential minerals like selenium and iron (Image via Pexels @Terje Sollie)

3) Coffee

Caffeine in coffee may speed up the body's metabolic rate. Consuming at least 270 mg of caffeine daily, or the equivalent of about three cups of coffee, has been shown in multiple studies to increase calorie expenditure by up to 100 calories over the course of the day.

Additionally, there is evidence that caffeine can aid in the breakdown of fat stores for energy, and that this benefit is most pronounced during exercise. However, it has different effects on different people due to factors like age and weight. Still, you should count coffee as one of the foods for increased metabolism that you can include in your diet.

Coffee works well for people to increase their metabolism (Image via Pexels @Burst)
Coffee works well for people to increase their metabolism (Image via Pexels @Burst)

4) Legumes and Beans

When compared to other plant foods, legumes and beans (like lentils, peas, chickpeas, black beans, and peanuts) have an especially high protein content, making them excellent foods for increased metabolism.

Their high protein content may cause you to burn more calories while digesting them than foods with less protein. The resistant starch and soluble fiber found in these metabolism boosting foods can be used as a prebiotic to nourish the beneficial bacteria already present in your large intestine.


5) Tea

For many people, tea works as one of the best foods for increased metabolism. Catechins, one of the compounds found in tea, may help caffeine in the beverage increase the body's metabolic rate.

Matcha and oolong green teas, in particular, have been shown to increase fat oxidation and calorie burning when combined with physical activity.

Green and oolong teas may also improve your body's ability to use fat stores as an energy source, leading to a 17% greater rate of fat loss. However, similar to coffee, results may vary from one person to the next.


6) Cocoa

Cocoa is one of the best foods for increased metabolism that you can consume. Cocoa and cocoa extracts may increase the expression of genes that stimulate fat burning.

Raw cacao is your best bet if you're curious about trying the stuff. Benefiting compounds are often diminished and sugar and calories are often added during processing.

Capsaicin can also work to improve metabolism in some people (Image via Pexels @Pixabay)
Capsaicin can also work to improve metabolism in some people (Image via Pexels @Pixabay)

7) Chilli Peppers

Capsaicin, a compound found in chili peppers, may help you burn calories more quickly by increasing your metabolic rate. This makes chili peppers one of the foods for increased metabolism that you can include in your diet.

Like exercise, eating cayenne peppers after a high-fat meal may increase the amount of fat your body burns for energy. It's possible, though, that only those who aren't used to eating spicy food will experience this fat-burning effect. Capsaicin has been shown to increase metabolism, but the evidence is conflicting.


In conclusion, it's possible that eating certain foods for increased metabolism can have a small but noticeable impact on your metabolic rate. Therefore, including them in your diet on a regular basis may aid in weight loss and maintenance.

These foods, however, will not make up for a diet that is high in calories or of low quality. Losing weight and keeping it off permanently requires a gradual decrease in calorie intake and a shift towards whole, minimally processed foods.

Edited by Susrita Das
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