Will Kelp & Green Tea Increase My Metabolism?

In general, people with higher metabolisms burn more calories than those who have sluggish systems. Therefore, people who want to lose weight are looking for ways to boost their metabolism. Exercise is an obvious way to increase your metabolic rate; however, because of the nature of the American lifestyle, you might not have time to get the exercise you need and are looking for alternative ways to increase your metabolism. Some suggest eating spicy foods or taking cinnamon supplements, while others favor kelp and green tea.

Metabolism & Thyroid Function

• Metabolism is the process that allows the body to change ingested nutrients into energy. Through the metabolic process, the body is able to repair its tissues, fight disease, heal injuries and eliminate toxins. Human metabolism is most affected by nutrition, hydration, physical activity and body type. Because muscles require more calories to maintain than fatty tissue does, muscular individuals tend to have higher metabolisms.

  Your metabolism also is regulated by the thyroid gland. When there isn't enough iodine in your body, the thyroid's productivity decreases, causing hypothyroidism. Symptoms of this condition include weakness, fatigue, constipation, depression, memory loss and a reduced sex drive. People can assist the proper functioning of their thyroid by reducing their stress and getting the nutrition they need.

Kelp

• Iodine is a supplement that helps the thyroid increase metabolism, and kelp is a natural source of iodine, a much better choice than increasing salt intake, which can result in high blood pressure. Kelp is naturally salty because it is a vegetable that grows in the ocean, where lots of nutrients are available. You can buy kelp in health food stores, but follow the recommended doses carefully and don't consume more than 1,000 micrograms a day.

Green Tea

• Along with kelp, green tea can give your metabolism a slight boost by increasing the body's calorie-burning energy by 3 percent to 4 percent, according to scientific studies conducted in the United States, Switzerland and China. The actual number of calories burned varies depending on your size and weight. Besides its weight-loss properties, green tea may help lower bad cholesterol and high blood-sugar levels.

  Green tea consumption also has been credited with reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The reason green tea has such remarkable healing properties is that it contains an anti-oxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Scientific studies have shown that EGCG can slow and stop the growth of new cancer cells in the body. It also has the ability to kill some existing cancer cells without harming normal cells. In addition, EGCG can help prevent blood clots, which often lead to strokes and heart attacks.

  Green tea may even be able to prevent arthritis, help fight infections and slow the wrinkling process. In addition, green tea could help prevent tooth decay and cavities.