Welcome to the Nutrition Facts Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

The coronavirus pandemic has made many of us very aware of the importance of maintaining and improving our health.

Make that your silver lining.

Because the more positive change we can make to our diet lifestyle, the better.

There's been a lot of research lately on the best and safest way to boost our metabolism.

And here's a sample of what we found.

In our first story, we look at how our adrenaline system plays a role in regulating our metabolism and our weight.

Thermogenic drugs like DMP can cause people to overheat to death.

It can increase resting metabolic rates by 300% or more.

More physiological spread would range about 10 times less.

From a 30% slower metabolism and people with an underactive thyroid to a 30% higher metabolism,

when the part of our nervous system that controls our fight or flight response is activated.

In response to a fright or acute stress, special nerves release a chemical called noradrenaline

to radius for confrontation.

You experience that by your skin getting paler, cold, and clammy as blood is diverted to your more vital organs,

your mouth can get dry as your digestive system is put on hold.

Your heart starts to beat faster.

What you don't feel is the extra fat being burned to liberate energy for the fight.

That's why people started taking a fedra for weight loss.

Efedra is an evergreen shrub used for thousands of years in China to treat asthma.

Because it causes the same release of noradrenaline that offers relief to asthmatics by dilating their airways.

In the United States, it was appropriated for use as a metabolic stimulant,

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