How some foods aid metabolism, but won’t help you lose weight
Garlic, turmeric, chilli and green tea are great for your metabolism and overall health, but they’re no magic bullet for reducing your waist measurements
Does eating some foods directly increase your metabolism?
The answer: No
The facts: What do foods such as green tea, chilli, spices, garlic, and lean protein have in common? They’re on every weight watcher’s must-eat list, but not for the reasons you might think. Sure, they are packed with nutrients and are relatively low in calories, making them smart additions to any weight-loss programme, but there’s also a common belief that these foods can increase your metabolism, speeding up weight loss.
If only burning calories was that effortless. While these foods are certainly healthy, consuming them will not raise your metabolism enough to make you lose weight.
Hong Kong health professionals pour scorn on ‘detox’ footpads
“Your metabolism is not as one-dimensional as it sounds,” says Monica Xu, a naturopathic physician at the Integrated Medicine Institute. “Imagine your body as a busy train station, with trains coming and going. In any given amount of time, depending on how fast the passengers get on and off the trains, the transit rate will vary. If there are too many passengers boarding the train at once or the trains aren’t running, the transit rate will slow down.”
In this context, the passengers are the nutrients your cells need to function, while the trains are the transporters, helping to move these nutrients in and out of your cells. How do you increase the transit rate? You have to achieve a balance between the amount of nutrients entering your body and the speed at which they are transported to – and utilised by – your cells. In other words, ensure that your metabolism is well-supported.