What is slow metabolism? In turn, we will discover its different causes, consequences and what solutions exist to increase and accelerate it.
Metabolism (also known as basal metabolism) is the set of chemical reactions that allow us to obtain energy from all the foods we eat daily. It basically consists of the amount of energy consumed by an individual in a state of rest.
Depending on the amount of energy that the person consumes while in that state of rest, it is said that they have a fast or slow metabolism.
What is slow metabolism?
If the person in this state has a lower expenditure than considered normal, he tends to burn little fat and it is stored in greater quantity, which causes overweight or obesity. And this means that this person has a slow metabolism.
That is, the body of the person in a state of rest has a caloric expenditure much lower than what could be considered normal.
Causes of slow metabolism
- Hypothyroidism: it becomes one of the most common causes. If the thyroid gland does not work properly (a gland that regulates both metabolism and caloric expenditure) it causes the appearance of a slow metabolism, and consequently the appearance of overweight. The solution is to take the medication that our doctor has prescribed, since it is a reversible medical situation, and which then allows the metabolism to normalize.
- Food intolerances and allergies: these are causes that are generally unknown. But the truth is that these types of intolerances and allergies cause poor digestion of food, causing a slow metabolism.
- Other non-organic causes: there are also other causes, considered non-organic, that can cause the appearance of a slow metabolism. The most common are eating too fast, not practicing physical exercise and drinking little or no water.
Consequences of slow metabolism
When the person has a slow metabolism, it is usual for their body to burn very little fat, so the most direct consequence is that it is stored in their body in a much higher proportion than normal.
This means that the person has a greater risk of being overweight and obese, if the appropriate solutions are not taken to reduce it.
Is it possible to change the slow metabolism?
Although in a certain sense it is quite difficult to lose weight when the person has a slow metabolism, following a suitable diet to lose weight little by little and the practice of daily physical exercise translates into one of the best solutions to change the metabolism slow.
To achieve this, it is possible to accelerate the slow metabolism by following the following guidelines:
- Get high intensity physical exercise daily, for at least 30 minutes each day.
- Increase your muscle mass, which helps you burn far more calories than fat.
- Eat 5 or 6 meals a day.
- Certain foods, such as citrus fruits, dairy products, and caffeine-rich beverages help speed up metabolism.
