From Time Magazine:
It’s long been known that spicy red peppers can help suppress appetite and burn calories. But most scientific studies of red peppers’ properties used quantities of the stuff that were too large to be applicable to Americans. Now, researchers report that even a reasonable amount of red pepper consumption may do the trick.
In their study, Richard Mattes, a distinguished professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University, and doctoral student Mary-Jon Ludy found that eating a moderate amount of dried cayenne red pepper — less than a teaspoon — boosted calorie burn and reduced appetite, especially for people who didn’t typically use the spice.
The experiment involved 25 normal-weight participants — 13 who liked spicy food and 12 who did not — who spent six weeks sprinkling cayenne pepper on their food. Those who were already accustomed to hot flavors used 1.8 grams of cayenne per day; those with more tender tongues used 0.3 grams.
Read more:
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.