woman in pants that are too big for her indicating she lost a lot of weight

Can a Metabolism Booster Affect Your Weight Loss Goals?

We’ve all seen those ads on TV for the latest miracle drug that is supposed to boost your metabolism and help you lose weight quickly, but how true are they? Do these metabolism booster supplements work? It’s important to understand what is helpful or has no impact on your metabolism so that you may make the most informed decision regarding your health.

In this post, we will talk about how metabolism works, what truth there is to metabolism supplements and boosters for men and women, what works and what doesn’t, and how to lose weight effectively.

What is metabolism?

The term metabolism is a catch-all term for the body’s various processes to turn foods and drinks into energy. The more quickly and efficiently the body turns food into energy, the better our metabolism is said to be working and the easier it is supposed to be for our bodies to lose weight and keep it off.

However, numerous factors affect our metabolism, from hereditary issues to diet and exercise, the foods and drinks we consume, and our overall health. The factor determining our metabolism functions is our BMR or basal metabolic rate. BMR refers to the number of calories the body needs to sustain life-supporting functions and the rate at which our bodies burn calories while resting. When our BMR is low, we have trouble losing weight. This is why you see ads like “best metabolism booster pills for weight loss”.

Do metabolism booster supplements work?

Before we talk about which metabolism boosters do or do not work, we want to caution that there are no miracle drugs that will magically make you start losing weight overnight. Even effective boosters must be accompanied by diet and exercise to work properly. Simply taking a metabolism booster will show little to no results.

Metabolism boosters contain specific ingredients, and these ingredients are what most of them claim will help you lose weight. Here are a few examples.

Green tea

Green tea is a popular ingredient in many metabolism boosters due to its potential to increase calorie burning and promote weight loss. The catechins and caffeine found in green tea are known to boost metabolism and improve fat oxidation, making it an effective component in weight loss supplements and metabolism-boosting products.

sipping green tea in a cup

Green tea extract may even be more effective than drinking green tea alone, as it contains a higher concentration of catechins, though the science behind it is still being studied.

Capsaicin

Another chemical found in foods with at least some research showing a potential benefit to weight loss is capsaicin. Capsaicin is a compound found in certain spicy foods like chili peppers that helps the peppers produce heat, and some data suggests these foods are good for weight loss.

peppers of different colors

Caffeine

Caffeine has been extensively studied as a primary ingredient in coffee, several teas, and other beverages. It has been proven to have some weight loss benefits due to its function as a stimulant.

coffee in a cup on a red table surrounded by sugar cubes

While ingesting caffeine has been known to lower appetite and improve calorie burn, supplements often contain large amounts of it. Caffeine can be dangerous in large amounts as it can increase heart rate, cause high blood pressure, and have other side effects.

Overall, there is very little evidence that metabolism-boosting supplements have more than a marginal effect on weight loss. Using these supplements for a prolonged period or in large quantities may cause health problems.

Can you boost your metabolism with diet?

Some foods actively boost metabolic rate and can improve weight loss, but these foods work best when paired with a diet and exercise plan. Here are a few examples of metabolism-boosting foods:

High protein foods

We all know that proteins are needed to build muscle, but protein also causes the body to exert more energy to digest these foods. This is why protein-rich foods help increase metabolism

An added benefit of high-protein foods is that they help a person feel fuller more quickly and become less hungry over time.

cracked egg on a frying pan

Mineral-rich foods

Our body needs certain minerals like iron to function properly. Eating mineral-rich foods helps function certain organs, one being the thyroid, the gland that regulates metabolism. A healthy thyroid means a healthy metabolism.

Photo representing vitamin c, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, grapefruit

Caffeinated drinks

Earlier in this post, we discussed caffeine’s role in weight loss. Caffeine has been researched and studied many times over the years, and its effects on appetite suppression and boosting metabolism have been proven by science. The best way to safely add caffeine to your diet is not with supplements but by drinking beverages like coffee and certain teas that contain caffeine naturally.

coffee in a cup with a few herbs around it

Are there other treatments that can help me achieve weight loss?

Boosting your metabolism can help you lose weight, but the best way to help lose even the most stubborn of weight is to talk with a medical professional about your weight loss goals and help them come up with a weight loss plan designed specifically for you.

This way, you can avoid the fad diets, false supplements, and medications that simply don’t work and focus on proven weight loss methods that can help you finally lose the weight you want and keep it off for the long term.

One way that a doctor can help improve your weight loss and push you closer to your weight loss goals is with the help of a weight loss medication like Wegovy. Wegovy and similar weight loss medications work by interacting with the hormones in the body that control digestion and appetite and help to make the body function normally on its own.

When a medication like Wegovy is combined with a healthy diet and exercise, patients can see drastic results even when other weight loss treatments and programs have failed.

Conclusion

A healthy metabolism is an important part of safely and effectively losing weight. Still, it’s important not to fall for the unsubstantiated claims and false promises of metabolism-boosting supplements that have little to no effect on your metabolism.

A healthy diet and exercise is the best way to boost your metabolism. If you’re still struggling to lose the weight you want, then talking with your doctor about combining a weight loss medication with your weight loss plan may help you reach your health goals.

Reach Your Weight Loss Goals With Semaglutide

Semaglutide (the same ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic) is recognized for its success in helping people achieve sustainable weight loss. Medical weight loss medications can help you on your journey toward your ideal weight.

Book a convenient online consultation and health check followed by a lab test. Eligible individuals will receive a medical weight loss prescription with medications delivered directly to your home.

people doing pilates