Chili peppers and their extracts could prevent weight gain

There is good news for those who find it hard to resist fatty foods. An ingredient found in chili peppers could help you prevent weight gain after eating a high-fat diet, a study involving an Indian researcher has found.

Pure Capsaicin (/ 8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is a  Hydrophobic, odourless and colourless crystalline-waxy compound which is also a vital ingredient of chili peppers associated with the genus capsicum an irritant for all mammals including humans, which  also produces a burning sensation when it comes into contact with any tissue. It also stimulates energy burning and acts as a restriction in calorie intake. Capsaicin is commonly used in food products to give them added spice or “heat” ( piquancy), and the degree of heat found within a food is often measured on the Scoville scale. In some cases, people enjoy the heat; there has long been a demand for capsaicin-spiced food and beverages, and hot sauces, salsas. Capsaicin is often used as an analgesic in nasal sprays ( sinol-M), dermal patches, ointments, to relieve pain. It also relieves minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, backache, strains and sprains.

‘Our group’s laboratory data revealed that dietary capsaicin suppresses high-fat-diet-induced obesity,’ explained Vivek Krishnan, a graduate student from the University of Wyoming in the US.

‘In our bodies, white fat cells store energy and brown fat cells serve as thermogenic (heat produced by burning fat) machinery to burn stored fat. Eating calorie-rich food together with  a lack of physical activity cause an imbalance in metabolism that leads to obesity,’ Krishnan explained.

The researchers found that dietary capsaicin — 0.01 percent of capsaicin in the total high fat diet — prevented high-fat-diet-induced weight gain in trials with wild type mice.

Dietary capsaicin may induce browning of white adipose tissue and stimulates thermogenesis to counteract obesity, the researchers noted.

The findings were presented at the Biophysical Society’s 59th annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.