Arginine Rich Foods that Will Boost Your Metabolism

As a mother I am always looking for foods that will boost my metabolism without boosting my weight. Argnine rich foods are the perfect answer to this. Arginine is an amino acid that has been clinically found to help the body oxidize fat and glucose as well as increase the production of the body's lean muscle mass. The study featured in the Journal of Nutrition also stated that foods rich in arginine will aid in the reduction of ammonia from the body while promoting the healing of wounds and the secretion of such hormones as glucagon, insulin, and growth hormone.

Seafood

It's no question that seafood is good for you, in fact there are more and more studies that seem to be popping up that include seafood as a rich source for something good for you. In this case, seafood is a good dietary source of arginine. Canned light tuna that was packed in oil can provide up to 1.74 grams of arginine per 100 grams of the fish. Shrimp and Salmon also provide more than 1 gram of arginine per 100 grams of the food making them also great sources for this vital amino acid when it comes to metabolism boosting.

Nuts

Nuts are good sources of healthy fats and they also pack a serious punch in boosting the metabolism. In fact, Pistachios, hazelnuts, cashew nuts, walnuts, and peanuts all provide more than 2 grams of the metabolism boosting amino acid arganine per 100 grams of the food. Spanish style peanuts are on the top of the list with more than 3 grams of arganine per 100 gram serving.

Watermelon

Watermelon was included in a study that was performed by the Journal of Nutrition which found when watermelon was supplemented to the diets of obese mice over the course of three months the mice actually had decreased body fat gains in excess of 60%. Watermelon aids in boosting metabolism and helps you to burn more calories.

Additional Arginine Sources

Additional sources of this metabolism boosting amino acid include certain dairy products such as raw egg yolks (although it is not recommended that you eat these as there is a risk of salmonella poisoning), Chicken, giblets, pork and milk. Other great sources of arginine include flax seeds which provide nearly 2 grams of arginine per 100 gram serving and also certain beans such as soybeans.

Eating a diet that is rich in arginine will help to increase the metabolism and thus will also aid in weight loss efforts. Summertime is here and watermelon is in season--boost that metabolism the seasonal way!

Sources:

Food Sources High in L-Arginine, www.dietaryfiberfood.com

Journal of Nutrition, www.nutrition.org