Become a Hot Pepper Fiend - Forget the Weight Loss Benefits, It's DELICIOUS

Now here's a nice change of pace. Ever since experimenting with spicy foods as a weight loss help, I've really stopped caring one way or another if it's good for weight loss because it's SO GOOD. Why haven't I been eating like this before? Hot peppers are FANTASTIC.

For the first couple of days I had to psyche myself up to put jalapenos and other peppers on my food. But now I pile it on with gusto. GUSTO.

So far I can't much vouche for the weight loss benefits of capsaicin (peppers)...but holy smokes is it good once you get over the initial hump of having your mouth be on fire. And I even seem to be choosing spicey food over salty or high fat foods by choice rather than discipline.

As a side note, the same pals who recommended eating hot foods came over with some spicy asparagus spears their relatives canned. BEST pickled food I've eaten IN MY LIFE. Transcendent. And very spicy. With occasional hints of lime or cardamom, or garlic...

This hot foods thing is a whole new world. Plus there's some evidence it helps lower blood pressure.

And now, who else, the Red Hot Chili Peppers...

My Mouth is on Fire...but apparently there's truth to hot peppers being helpful for dieting

With the rumbling cacophony that is the sound of boys in the background, some pals mentioned to me that I should try to Eat More Hot Peppers to help with my Mission to Lose 50 Pounds. Now...it WAS at a child's 7th birthday party...and it WAS pretty loud, so it's possible I misheard them. It's possible my friend's said I should Skip More Fat Suppers, or Beat Floor Pot Schleppers, or Gleep Blore Zot Pebblers. But I'm PRETTY sure they said "Eat More Hot Peppers."

Anyway, they're fit, trim folks and their opinion is generally valuable to me, so I figured it was worth looking up and giving it a try. I'm talking about the Eating More Hot Peppers thing. I'm not even sure how I'd start Gleeping Blore Zot Pebblers.



So I hit Google Scholar and gosh darnit if there isn't some bit of truth to it. Capsaisin, the main hot-making component of hot peppers does, in fact, seem to help with weight loss:

Here's a scientific study: Effects of Capsaicin on Abdominal Fat an Serum Free-Fatty Acids in Exercise Trained Rats.

These results show that under conditions of pair feeding and exercise training, capsaicin intake induces a significant negative energy balance after only one week of treatment. This is associated with an increase in circulating free-fatty acids which is mediated by beta-adrenergic
stimulation.

"Negative Energy Balance" I had to look that one up. It means "burning fat". More techniclly it's when you use MORE energy than you take in, forcing your body to use its...in some cases... vast stores of fat.

Of course...note in the aboce quote you can't JUST eat capsaicin and hot peppers to get thin. The study included exercise AND capsaicin (hot peppers).

It's never good to rely on just one study. But there are quite a few others confirming similar findings.

Here's another scientific study: Administration of Capsiate, a Non-Pungent Capsaicin Analog, Promotes Energy Metabolism and Suppresses Body Fat Accumulation in Mice

These results suggest that capsiate promotes energy metabolism and suppresses
body fat accumulation as does capsaicin.

So that's cool, eh? Maybe there's something to this capsaicin thing. I guess we'll find out.

Now I'm putting hot peppers into my eggs in the morning and munching on these pickled peppers I canned in 2010 but never had anything to use them for. Consider it a science experiment. A very painful....PAINFUL science experiment. My mouth is on fire half the day. I hear you get used to it.

Anyway, hot peppers. Give it a shot.

--------------------------
Picture Attributions:
Photo 1 by Photosteve101
Photo 2 by krossbow