If you've been cutting back on calories and exercising regularly but still struggle to lose weight, you may lack these essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimal weight loss.

This article will explore nine of the best supplements for boosting your metabolism naturally. By incorporating these supplements into your diet, you can fill any nutritional gaps, curb cravings, speed up the process of digestion, and slow down the rate at which you gain weight.

We'll also dive into the science behind how each supplement works and how to incorporate them into your daily routine. Say goodbye to fad diets and extreme weight loss measures and embrace a healthier, more sustainable approach to weight loss with the help of these natural supplements.

Metabolism is the process by which our bodies convert carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from food into energy that our cells require to function. Several supplements out there claim to help boost metabolism and promote weight loss.

However, not all are organic or perform as claimed. From our research, the following are some of the best supplements to help boost metabolism and promote weight loss:. These vitamins help your body metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

They are essential in aiding your body utilize the stored energy in food. For instance, Thiamine B-1 aids the body cells to convert carbohydrates into energy.

If one or more of these vitamins are low, your body's metabolism won't function at its best, making weight loss even more challenging. It is vital to note that Cobalamin B is not found in any plant products, so individuals following a vegan diet may need to take supplements to ensure nutrient balance.

Do you follow a strict vegan diet? You should ensure that you meet your daily requirement of B Vitamins, especially B You may also like: 7 Supplements Needed in a Vegan Diet.

Magnesium is a vital mineral for energy production in the body, as it acts as a cofactor in over enzyme systems. These enzyme systems regulate various reactions in the body, such as:. Despite Magnesium's vital role in the human body, its intakes are often inadequate in the US, as indicated by dietary surveys.

Low magnesium levels can cause muscle cramps, tightness, and pain. Therefore, to prevent these negative impacts of magnesium deficiency, you must consume foods rich in the mineral, such as:.

Nuts, in particular, can provide quick energy boosts and help prevent fatigue, especially during dieting or exercise.

But, be cautious not to overeat them as they are high in calories. Insufficient Niacin intake can lead to low energy levels, making it difficult to burn more calories than you consume. Additionally, niacin-rich foods contain other nutrients, such as protein and fiber, that can help in the metabolism of fat, carbohydrates, and amino acids, which aid in healthy weight management.

Hence, incorporating niacin-rich foods in a balanced diet can contribute to successful weight loss. You may also like: What is the Best Time to Take Vitamins. Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that acts as a coenzyme, playing an essential role in breaking down and utilizing carbs, fats, and proteins.

By aiding in the metabolism of these macronutrients, vitamin B6 enhances your metabolism, allowing you to burn calories and lose weight more quickly. It also helps your body extract nutrients from food, which is particularly beneficial when on a low-calorie diet.

Another benefit of vitamin B6 is that it can help keep your hormones balanced. By aiding in the metabolism of food and extracting essential nutrients, vitamin B6 can promote hormone balance, leading to improved mood and a greater sense of overall health.

Vitamin B6 is also a natural diuretic, meaning that it helps to increase urine output, which can help speed up your metabolism and rid your body of unnecessary waste more frequently, promoting better health. Vitamin B6 is crucial for several bodily functions, and people who don't get enough of it may experience a range of symptoms, including:.

Moreover, deficient vitamin B6 levels may result in depression, confusion, and a weak immune system. The people most likely to be deficient in vitamin B6 include those with kidney disease and those with malabsorption syndromes.

Malabsorption syndrome prevents the small intestine from absorbing nutrients from foods, putting people with this syndrome at an increased risk of developing vitamin B6 deficiency. In addition, certain autoimmune disorders, epilepsy medications, and alcohol dependence can also lead to vitamin B6 deficiency.

If you find out that you are low on Vitamin B6, consider taking our B complex supplements. They are organic and will naturally boost your energy level and improve your mood and memory while sustaining a healthy metabolism and nervous system function.

Iron is essential in creating energy from nutrients and carries oxygen to your body's cells which helps burn more fat in your muscles.

Low iron levels in your body can have a direct impact on athletic performance, and it's one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies in the United States. Women who endure heavy menstrual periods and people who frequently donate blood are at a higher risk of iron deficiency and should talk to their doctor about an iron supplement.

Vegetarians are another category of people prone to be deficient in minerals as our bodies absorb the type of iron found in meat better than the iron from a plant-based source. Hence, they may need to take Vitamin C supplements or consume iron-rich foods along with a source of vitamin C, such as strawberries or tomatoes, to help improve their absorption of the mineral.

You may also like: 5 Science-Based Reasons Why You Should Take Nutritional Supplements. The primary source of vitamin D is the sun, but most people don't get enough due to spending too much time indoors or living in areas with limited sunshine.

Hence, supplements are often recommended since most diets don't provide enough vitamin D. Adequate vitamin D levels can help prevent depression, which is important for a positive attitude during weight loss.

Low vitamin D levels have been associated with obesity. Though the exact role of vitamin D in weight loss is still unclear, a study found that overweight and obese adults who took calcium and vitamin D supplements lost more stomach fat than those who didn't.

We recommend that you check your vitamin D levels once a year and consult your doctor if your levels remain low. Additionally, you may consider adding vitamin supplements to your diet. Check out the Vitamin D supplement from Why Not Natural.

They are natural and can help you keep your bones strong and your hormone levels balanced. Recent studies suggest that calcium plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy metabolism and blood sugar control, as well as promoting healthy bones.

A study found that increased calcium intake and vitamin D may aid in weight loss associated with a healthy diet. Additionally, an older study demonstrated that a diet rich in dairy calcium enhanced weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes. However, further research is necessary to establish if calcium supplementation is a reliable weight-loss strategy.

Calcium supplements are readily available; we recommend getting your calcium from food first. Good food sources include:. Green tea extract is an exceptional supplement that has received some attention in the market. Even though it's not a vitamin or mineral, it is worth considering due to its numerous health benefits.

Green tea extract is believed to boost energy expenditure, promote fat oxidation, and decrease fat absorption. The extract from this famous beverage is rich in flavonoid antioxidants known as catechins and contains a considerable amount of caffeine. According to an analysis of six controlled clinical trials, caffeine alone or combined with catechins significantly increased energy expenditure compared to a placebo.

Research conducted in also revealed that green tea supplements helped obese individuals reduce their body weight by nearly two pounds on average compared to placebo. It's important to note that green tea extract is considered safe, but it's advisable to take it with food to minimize any potential risks.

Keto-DHEA is a naturally occurring substance in the human body that may enhance weight loss by increasing metabolism and calorie burning. According to some studies , individuals who combined moderate exercise, a reduced-calorie diet, and 7-keto-DHEA supplementation lost more weight than those who received a placebo.

However, according to Natural Medicines, there is still insufficient reliable evidence to determine the efficacy of 7-keto-DHEA. Metabolism-boosting supplements are designed to assist in weight loss and fat burning through various mechanisms, such as thermogenesis, appetite suppression, and metabolic stimulation.

Thermogenesis is the process of dissipating energy through heat production and occurs in specialized tissues, including brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Once Thermogenesis occurs, it leads to a higher basal metabolic rate.

Thermogenesis does not affect your external body temperature, so there is no need to worry about sweating or feeling hot. By increasing thermogenesis, your body works harder internally, creating a calorie deficit. Brown fat and skeletal muscle are the two types of tissues that generate heat.

Some metabolism booster pills can help increase brown fat over white fat, with brown fat being more efficient at burning calories.

Metabolism boosters help curb appetite, which reduces the calorie intake of the body. This results in fewer calories to burn and less fat production, actively aiding in weight loss. Hormonal imbalance or nutrient deficiency can cause food cravings.

In addition, many people consume more calories than necessary due to these food cravings, leading to weight gain. When we don't use these excess calories, they get stored as saturated fat in the body. Metabolic stimulation supplements boost energy production to speed up the metabolic process in the body.

As a result of this increase, carbohydrates and fat are broken down into glucose quicker, and less are stored in the form of saturated fats. Additionally, some supplements can aid in protecting your mitochondria from oxidative damage or increasing their energy production.

By supporting mitochondrial function, metabolic stimulation supplements can enhance energy expenditure, burn stubborn fat that has accumulated in the body for the year, and promote weight loss.

Metabolism supplements contain various ingredients that work together to speed up metabolism and help with weight loss. Let's take a closer look at some of the major ingredients present in these supplements and how they work. This amino acid is found in foods like fish, nuts, and red meat.

L-carnitine promotes fat burning and converts food into usable energy, providing reliable support to complete daily tasks. It also has many benefits, especially if you're on a low-calorie diet, and helps relieve fatigue.

Adequate levels of vitamin D may also help prevent depression, according to some research. A positive attitude is also fundamental for an effective diet.

Researchers have noticed lower-than-normal levels of serum vitamin D in obese people. The exact role of vitamin D in weight loss is still unclear.

A study found that overweight and obese adults taking calcium and vitamin D supplements lost significantly more stomach fat than people not taking any supplements. Food sources: While the sun is the best source of vitamin D, you can also get this vitamin from food , especially fortified foods.

Tip: You might want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement if you spend most of your days indoors. Try it: Shop for vitamin D supplements.

Iron plays a role in helping your body create energy from nutrients. Iron helps carry oxygen to all of the cells in your body, including your muscles. This, in turn, helps them burn fat.

Too little iron can lead to iron deficiency anemia , which is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the United States. Women who experience heavy menstrual periods and people who frequently donate blood are more prone to iron deficiency.

Your body absorbs the type of iron found in meat better than the iron that comes from a plant-based source. Not a meat eater? Eating iron-rich foods along with a source of vitamin C, like strawberries or tomatoes , can help improve absorption. Tip: Take iron supplements with food and add extra fiber to your diet, as iron supplements can be constipating.

Try it: Shop for iron supplements. Magnesium is necessary for energy production in the body. This mineral acts as a cofactor in more than enzyme systems. These systems are responsible for a wide range of reactions in the body, including:.

Dietary surveys of people in the United States regularly show that magnesium intakes are too low. Tip: Very high doses of magnesium from supplements or medications often result in diarrhea.

Try it: Shop for magnesium supplements. Green tea is thought to increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation, and to reduce fat production and absorption. The extract of this popular beverage is known to contain powerful flavonoid antioxidants known as catechins.

Green tea also contains a healthy dose of caffeine. An analysis of six controlled clinical trials found that caffeine alone, or in combination with catechins, significantly increased energy expenditure when compared to placebo.

One study in found that green tea supplements reduced body weight in obese individuals by an average of nearly 2 pounds, as compared to placebo. Tip: Green tea extract is considered safe, but clinicians advise people to take the extract with food to minimize any potential risks. Try it: Shop for green tea extract.

The list of supplements that claim to increase metabolism of fat is quite long. This is especially true for people who are pregnant , breastfeeding, or who have underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.

Be sure to ask your doctor about possible interactions with any medications you might be taking. If you experience any side effects after taking a supplement, stop taking it and contact your doctor.

Vitamin and mineral supplements may help provide you with the energy necessary to manage stress , keep a positive mood, and reduce fatigue. Experts agree that the basis for long-term weight loss is following an overall healthy eating pattern, reducing caloric intake, and participating in physical activity.

Most of your required vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients should come from food. Supplements can help fill in any gaps in your diet that come from limiting your calorie intake.

Make sure to read the label thoroughly to check its active ingredients and to understand the correct dosage. Also, note the expiration date prior to taking the supplement.

Vitamins lose potency over time. You should discard any supplements that are past their expiration date. Jacquelyn has been a writer and research analyst in the health and pharmaceutical space since she graduated with a degree in biology from Cornell University. A native of Long Island, New York, she moved to San Francisco after college, and then took a brief hiatus to travel the world.

In , Jacquelyn relocated from sunny California to sunnier Gainesville, Florida where she owns 7 acres and 58 fruit trees. She loves chocolate, pizza, hiking, yoga, soccer, and Brazilian capoeira. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. MindBodyGreen provides third-party-tested supplements made with high quality ingredients.

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Vitamin K is an essential nutrient that helps with blood clotting and healthy bones. It can be found in leafy greens, vegetable oils, and broccoli. L-citrulline is an amino acid made naturally in your body. It may also be taken as a supplement to help boost exercise performance, lower blood….

Short story: it's not just about weight loss and burning calories. There are certain conditions that can slow your metabolism, such as having an under active thyroid symptoms of this are tiredness , weight gain and muscle cramps — head to your GP if these sound familiar.

Outside of this, though, there's not much evidence to support the idea that you have a slow metabolism, should you find it difficult to get to a healthy weight.

This 'muscle mass' point is a salient one, however. The upshot? Because you tend to lose muscle as you age, your metabolism may slow as the years go on.

It also means that if you workout a lot and have muscle packed on, your metabolism may be faster than if you were carrying more fat. There are a handful of foods which have 'metabolism-boosting' claims around them — but these don't stand up to analysis.

Here's what registered nutritionist, Jenna Hope , has to say about the most hyped of the bunch. Some studies have also shown a correlation between the consumption of green tea and reduced total cholesterol.

In turn, excess caffeine consumption can stimulate excess cortisol the stress hormone. Dosage, period of which ginger is consumed and animal vs human studies all contribute to the conflicting outcomes. Jenna's final word? Simply putting weight management down to one food is simplistic and dangerous.

These are pills that claim to be able to speed up your metabolism — your body's way to convert carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from your food into the energy you need. Popular ingredients within metabolism boosters are caffeine, green tea, capsaicin the chemical that makes chillies spicy and L-carnitine the substance that turns your body fat into energy.

Metabolism-boosting pills, specifically, are supplements on the health and fitness market which claim to 'speed up' your metabolism and therefore to help you lose weight.

Again, they're likely to contain caffeine, capsaicin, conjugated linoleic acid, green tea and L-carnitine. So what does a doctor make of these pills? So are they worth it? Dr Wallace says a firm 'no. Don't worry about individual foods [as metabolism boosters] — there isn't enough evidence anywhere to support this'.

The upshot, then, is this. Unless you have an over or underactive thyroid, people with similar amounts of muscle mass will, largely, have metabolisms that run at similar rates.

The point of difference here is said muscle mass. Because you need more energy to maintain muscle cells than fat cells, people who are more muscular are likely to have a higher metabolic rate. Want to know how to build muscle?

The basic advice applies. Regular resistance and strength training , incorporating progressive overload , as well as eating enough protein Third Space's Head of Education and PT Josh Silverman says to aim to eat half your body weight in grams per meal, four times per day.

For example, a 60kg woman would eat 30g of protein per meal all work to get you stronger. Lifting heavier, relative to your body weight, can increase your muscle gain potential,' explains Laura Hoggins , PT and author of Lift Yourself and director of The Foundry gym.

The best food sources of CLA tend to be grass-fed beef, organic milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. If you want to take a CLA supplement, they're readily available in most pharmacies. MORE: 10 Moves That Target Cellulite. Zinc Even a healthy diet can still miss crucial nutrients.

The mineral zinc is one. Plentiful in oysters, scallops, beef, and dark poultry meat, you can see how meals focused on produce plus lean turkey and chicken could leave you short.

The other issue is that a healthy regimen delivers a lot of minerals—iron, calcium, phosphorus—that can interfere with the absorption of zinc. Not to worry: You don't need much of this mineral, but the little you get is vital.

Your thyroid gland needs zinc to produce thyroid hormone, which helps maintain your metabolism and energy. There's even evidence that zinc can help control your appetite.

Men should aim for 11 milligrams a day, women at least 8 mg. Three oysters will give you about 35 mg, though how often do you eat those? A 4-ounce serving of scallops provides 4 mg, beef about 6 mg, and dark poultry meat about 4 mg. You can also get zinc from sesame seeds and some grains such as spelt, though in smaller amounts.

Adding a few servings of zinc-containing foods—or getting zinc from a multivitamin—should help meet your body's needs. Tea—especially the green variety—is the source of catechins, a substance that seems to protect natural stimulants in the body.

Because these stimulants boost cell activity, they'll increase your body's need for energy. In other words, catechins can help you burn more calories around the clock. While weight-loss mileage varies with this supplement, don't expect miracles.

Researchers at The Cleveland Clinic analyzed the results of 15 studies on catechin supplements and found that the pills could help you lose about a pound a month. Of equal interest to the researchers was the way catechins seem to stimulate fat-burning in the body, resulting in significantly narrower waists among supplement takers.

That finding ties in with long-term observational studies: Green tea drinkers who have about two of cups a day have a lower percentage of body fat and slimmer midsections than non-drinkers.

Check out these 5 awesome health benefits of drinking green tea. Experts believe green tea may be most useful to dieters hoping to prevent weight regain. Dieting naturally depresses metabolism, and green tea can help counteract that drop. If you want to try supplements, the effective dose seems to be about milligrams a day.

Also, be sure to get pills with caffeine: The Cleveland Clinic study results indicated that caffeine-free supplements don't help. Selenium Considering how vital selenium is to your health and weight, it's lucky that you don't need much of this mineral.