The speed of metabolism has been related to the ease or difficulty of gaining or losing weight. Metabolism is an internal process in which the body expends energy and burns calories.
Harvard Health explains that a slow metabolism burns fewer calories, which means more is stored as fat in the body; which is why some people have difficulty losing weight simply by cutting calories. A fast metabolism burns calories at a faster rate.
How fast your metabolism works is mainly determined by your genes. Over the years it can also slow down. Healthy eating and exercise can boost your metabolism.
5 healthy foods that stimulate metabolism
1. Foods rich in protein
Consume Protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, and eggs can help speed up metabolism.
Harvard explains that metabolism increases every time you eat, digest, and store food, a process called the thermic effect of the food. Protein has a greater thermic effect compared to fats and carbohydrates because it takes longer for the body to burn protein and absorb it.
2. Chilies
Chili peppers have a variety of compounds that can have multiple beneficial effects on the body, one of them being capsaicin.
Capsaicin may stimulate metabolism by slightly increasing the rate at which the body burns calories.
3. Coffee
Consuming coffee can do more than keep you awake, alert and energized. According to Healthline, caffeine increases your resting metabolic rate, which means it increases the number of calories you burn at rest.
4. Green Tea
Green tea is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect , one of the compounds is epigallocatechin gallate, which can stimulate metabolism.