You’ve probably read or have heard people say that black coffee helps boost metabolism. Before we get on to answering the question how, let us first understand what metabolism is all about.
What is metabolism?
First off, metabolism refers to the amount of calories (energy) that our body needs to maintain itself. So even if we were to imitate the cat and sleep all day, our body would still need a certain minimum amount of energy to keep it ticking over. This ‘minimum’ is your metabolic rate and generally averages about 1,500 calories per day.
Metabolism and your body weight
Higher the burn rate i.e. higher the metabolism rate, more the energy you burn and therefore lesser chances of adding body fat. So far so good; now let us see if or how black coffee helps boost metabolism i.e. the fabulous coffee metabolism boost.
The Research into coffee metabolism boost
In a scientific study conducted back in 1980 (published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), it was found that the metabolic rates did significantly rise 3 hours after drinking a standard cup of non-sweet black coffee.
Increased metabolic rates meant increased energy utilization. For under-weight and normal weight people, any shortfall led to a temporary breaking down of any accumulated fat (to the extent that was required to power the increased metabolic rate).
For obese people on the other hand, increased metabolism only tapped into readily available energy in the blood stream – it did not break down accumulated fats. This meant two things:
- A normal or under-weight person could theoretically use the coffee metabolism boost to lose weight by drinking standard cup of black coffee with no sugar.
- Theoretically, an obese person could drink a cup of non-sweet black coffee to soak up the excess energy so it does not convert into fat.
Drinking black coffee to achieve a metabolism boost can at best be classified as a pseudoscience. There has been no research into how much coffee is ideal or strength of the coffee that would lead to a coffee metabolism boost. There are far better ways to achieve a metabolism boost than drinking coffee.
Best way to boost metabolism
If your aim is to boost metabolism, the scientifically acknowledged way to do it would be through exercise. Exercise increases the heart rate leading to an increased energy burn rate. In fact, even after the exercise is completed, the metabolic levels will continue to be elevated for several hours. Every ounce of muscle you add will permanently increase your metabolic rate (so long as you maintain those muscles). There’s no caffeine or gimmicky drinks involved – just pure physical activity that leads to guaranteed increased metabolism rate.
You’ve probably heard it before – “there are no short-cuts in life”. Black cup of coffee will certainly boost your metabolism level so that you feel alive and can kick start your day or repower the rest of your day – just don’t use the increased metabolic rate via black coffee as a means of losing weight. For best results, try healthy eating for weight loss instead.