Vitamins for Weight Loss, Metabolism Boosting, and More

Whether it be smoothies and diet choices or the effects of diabetes on weight loss, here on the Smarter Science of Slim Blog we cover a wide range of topics under the larger umbrella of metabolism. Metabolism is often thought of as shorthand for food burning, how fast your body will get through the calories that are being ingested. The truth is a bit more complex than that. It controls and guides much of your body’s internal processes including weight loss to an extent. This time on the blog, we are looking at vitamins for weight loss and metabolism function.

As we have discussed elsewhere numerous times, metabolism is the process by which your body converts food calories into usable energy. However, that doesn’t solely mean “burns food.”

Your metabolism is working to meet the various energy quotas your body is asking for it. If you take in more calories than your body requires, it won’t magically burn through the rest of them. But on the flip side, if you’re not eating or drinking enough to meet your needs your metabolism will slow down, all an attempt to keep your available energy stored for when it is truly needed.

So, with that said, are there vitamins for weight loss or supplements that can speed up (or speed down) your metabolism? Here are a few that can help your body work efficiently, and assist with weight loss – if that’s what you’re after.

Vitamins for Metabolism

• Vitamin Bthiamine (B-1)riboflavin (B-2)niacin (B-3)pantothenic acid (B-5)pyridoxine (B-6)biotin (B-7)folic acid (B-9)cobalamin (B-12)The numerous diverse types of B vitamins all work to help your metabolism work efficiently, helping to metabolize proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
• IronIron plays a huge role in the delivery of energy through the body. Iron carries oxygen throughout the body, getting it to all the cells including muscle tissues.
• MagnesiumMagnesium might not be directly metabolism related but it is used as a cofactor for so many processes that it is sure to help support all the necessary systems in your body. We talked about how diabetes can wreak havoc on your system, well magnesium helps with controlling glucose levels in the blood.

Vitamins for Weight Loss

• Vitamin DVitamin D is, like many of the others here, one of the most deficient in Americans. But it shouldn’t be neglected! A study by the American Clinical Journal of Nutrition found that obese adults who took the supplement lost significantly more fat from their midsections.

All the vitamins discussed will see effects in weight loss as well as their functions with the metabolism. That’s because as a whole your body is going to be functioning better, more efficiently, and in a better state of health. All of these metabolisms boosting, fat blasting vitamins can be found in pill supplement form but that’s far from the best sources. Anytime you can get your daily dose from food sources you should, aside from tasting a whole lot better it also helps keep your diet on point!

Food for Metabolism Supporting Vitamins

• Vitamins Bbeanseggsmilklentilswhole grainspotatoesbananaslean meat
• IronSpinachBeansShellfishLean meats
• MagnesiumSeedsNutsLegumesGreen leafy vegetables
• Vitamin DThe Sun! (you’re right that’s not food)Egg yolksTunaSardinesSalmonFortified MilkFortified YogurtCod liver oil

Adding vitamins to your diet

Now, with your diet fortified with all of these vitamins for metabolism and weight loss you should begin seeing great effects. Often times we think too big when trying to get our health back or lose weight. While there are tremendous changes that can see big rewards, sometimes it’s a collection of those smaller, micro changes that together create a whole, wide system change.

Think of it like a machine. Replacing one big belt or piston in your engine will see it fix a problem but the engine is still old, still wearing down the belt faster than it should. But replace all the smaller gears and cogs, getting the engine operating how it should and now those belts and pistons are working correctly for a long time to come. By replacing these smaller parts with vitamins for weight loss and metabolism boosts, you can be running an efficient engine for a long time yet to come.