Food consumed on a frequent basis may help boost metabolism; however, the evidence in support of this belief remains somewhat mixed.
Studies have investigated the impact of meal frequency and timing on weight loss. Participants consumed a hypocaloric diet and were assigned one of three or six meals daily for weight loss.
Results show that changing meal frequency does not significantly alter metabolic rates or total body weight.
Weight Loss
Many people believe that eating multiple small meals throughout the day helps increase metabolism and burn more fat, yet research does not support this idea.
Recently, animal and human studies have conducted extensive investigations of meal frequency on metabolism. Results of such investigations show that long-term mistiming food intake disrupts circadian rhythms and leads to adverse metabolic outcomes such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (41- 48).
Eating more often may reduce hunger, but it also increases the risk of overeating if calories aren’t strictly monitored. Furthermore, increasing meal frequency may lower the thermic effect of food (i.e. energy expended digesting and metabolizing foods) since smaller meals tend to contain higher protein and fewer carbohydrates resulting in less of an energy expenditure than larger ones. Furthermore, some researchers suggest this factor could impact one’s ability to feel satisfied after each meal.
Energy Expenditure
Concerning metabolism and weight loss, many individuals believe that increasing food consumption will result in greater energy expenditure; however, recent studies show otherwise; instead total daily energy expenditure (TEE) in both men and women has actually declined over time.
This may be caused by a decrease in basal metabolic rate rather than increased physical activity expenditure, while TEE calculation takes into account both diet and energy expenditure for body functions such as breathing and circulation.
The thermal effect of food (TEF), which refers to the energy required to digest, absorb, and transport food products from source to mouth is approximately 10 percent of daily thermal equivalent energy expenditure (TEE).
TEF can be affected by multiple factors including age, sex, chronotype, meal composition and physical activity. Furthermore, meal timing influences both cortisol release and leptin and ghrelin production in your body – leading to adverse health outcomes such as obesity, glucose tolerance issues and insulin resistance as well as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Blood Sugar Balance
Your body relies heavily on sugar for energy. Too much of the sweet stuff can throw your blood sugar levels out of balance and lead to complications. Your metabolism breaks down carbohydrates, proteins and fats into simple molecules which it uses as fuel – this process is known as metabolism.
Studies on both mice and humans demonstrate the connection between meal timing and metabolic health and circadian rhythms, metabolic homeostasis and long-term desynchronization by mistimed food intake and its relationship to circadian rhythms, leading to weight gain, glucose (in)tolerance/diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (18, 47-54).
Eating meals rich in fresh fruits and vegetables as well as fiber can slow the digestive process and help balance blood sugar levels, while regular exercise can increase insulin sensitivity, help you lose weight, and promote weight loss through activities like walking, running, biking or strength training. It is also important to get plenty of rest; studies indicate that people who eat fewer meals per day tend to have an irregular eating pattern leading to increases in hunger hormones as well as overeating [23, 26]. Funnel plot analysis indicates trials with higher frequency but irregular timing did not enhance cardiometabolic outcomes.
Thermic Effect of Food
Diet-induced thermogenesis, or food’s thermic effect, refers to any increase in metabolism that results from your body using energy to digest and absorb nutrients. Different foods have different levels of thermic impact with protein having the most intense impact, followed by carbohydrates and fats.
Foods high in thermic value require extra energy for digestion, forcing your body to expend additional calories as you process them. By including more high-thermic foods in your diet, they can help increase calorie burn and further support weight loss goals.
Keep in mind, though, that food only contributes a minor part of total caloric expenditure; other factors such as physical activity, sleep quality and diet quality play more of a part in long-term weight management.
