Capsicum Helps Women Lose Weight

Capsaicin is the constituent of capsicum (which are also known by various other names including chillis, hot chillis, cayenne and chilli peppers) that turns up the heat (known scientifically as thermogenesis). Chillis may therefore help thermogenesis by turning up body heat.

Japanese researchers recently put capsicum to the weight loss test on a pack of 144 exercising rats. They attempted to determine if feeding capsaicin from capsicum to exercising rats could reduce body weight and improve the mobilisation of body fat better than exercise alone. Rats were fed a diet that contained 0.014% capsaicin for seven days and then split the rats into two groups: one group contained to receive capsaicin and the other group received a placebo. At the end of the study the capsaicin-receiving group had significant reductions in their abdominal fat (stomach fat) compared to the placebo group. How did capsaicin work? Researchers found that capsaicin influenced specific receptors to increase their mobilization of body fat in the region around the stomach.

Earlier studies have confirmed that the capsaicin content of chillis increases resting metabolic rate (a measure of the amount of energy expended during a given period) by up to 25%. An increased resting metabolic rate is good for those wishing to lose weight as a person with a high metabolic rate will burn more fat than a person with a low metabolic rate during any identical physical activity or exercise. Capsaicin-stimulated increases in resting metabolic rate peak at 75 to 90 minutes after the consumption of capsaicin and persist for up to three hours after consuming capsaicin-containing hot chillis.

Side Benefits

As well as facilitating weight loss, capsicum supplements can also improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure, inhibit some types of disease-causing bacteria, delay fatigue and reduce the symptoms of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, the common cold and sinusitis.

The Take Home Message!

• Women who use capsicum supplements (which contain capsaicin) in conjunction with exercise can expect to lose more weight (especially from their stomach) than women who don't take capsicum supplements in conjunction with their exercise regime.
• The optimal time to take capsicum supplements for weight loss is 75 to 90 minutes prior to exercise, although capsicum supplements will be of some benefit if taken up to three hours prior to exercise.
• The dosage of capsicum supplements that will enhance weight loss is 2,000 - 4,000 mg (or four to eight 520 mg capsules).