If you’re trying to lose weight, you likely already know how important metabolism is to the process. Achieving a faster metabolism will allow you to burn more calories, prevent weight gain, and even help protect you from serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and more.
So, what’s the best way to boost your metabolism as you navigate your weight loss journey? Dietitian Kiran Campbell, RDN says that while this process mostly comes down to genetics, “it can be manipulated to some small degree with dietary and lifestyle changes.” One option is to take supplements that will provide your body with all the nutrients it needs.
To learn more, we asked Campbell about the best supplement you can take every day to boost your metabolism and get closer to your weight loss goals: a tried and true multivitamin.
Multivitamin
There are many supplements on the market that can provide vitamins, nutrients, and minerals to help speed up your body's metabolism, but Campbell says if she were to recommend just one to take every day, it would be a multivitamin.
Our diets provide the energy we need to carry out the metabolic process, Campbell explains: "Much like a car needs fuel, our bodies also need 'fuel' in the form of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, and vitamins and minerals." However, not everyone receives the same amount of this "fuel" every day. Campbell says that's why a multivitamin is a great option. This supplement will serve as a sort of "nutritional insurance" to make up for any part of your diet that may be deficient.
"Our bodies are very complex yet self-sufficient machines. They require many different nutrients in order to support your metabolism," she explains. "With that said, no two human beings are alike. We do not eat the same things. We do not get the same amount of exercise or sunlight. And we do not practice the same healthy (or unhealthy) lifestyle habits. A multivitamin, however, is able to provide a more universal solution to whatever we may be lacking in."
Taking a multivitamin is a great way to prevent deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. Campbell notes that if your body doesn't get enough of all of these vitamins and minerals, you may run into roadblocks such as physical and mental fatigue, loss of appetite, and even depression. All of these issues can cause serious damage to your health, including a lower metabolism due to lifestyle changes. "So, when it comes to maintaining or possibly even boosting metabolism, it's especially important to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies by way of a multivitamin," she says.
Above all, though, Campbell emphasizes the importance of maintaining your metabolism. "The key is maintenance versus trying to increase something that genetics did not provide," she says.
So, what's her best metabolism maintenance advice? Campbell says nothing is better than eating healthy meals and getting enough exercise. "My suggestion is to follow a balanced diet and exercise routine in order to maintain your current metabolic function and prevent any declines as you age," she concludes. Sounds like a good plan to us!
