Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers that provide the heat, may cause weight loss and fight fat buildup by triggering certain beneficial protein changes in the body, according to a new study published in the Journal of Proteome Research.
Previous laboratory studies hinted that capsaicin may help fight obesity by decreasing calorie intake, shrinking fat tissue and lowering fat levels in the blood; however, researchers sought to find out how capsaicin might trigger such beneficial effects.
Scientists fed high-fat diets with or without capsaicin to lab rats used to study obesity. The capsaicin-treated rats lost 8 percent of their body weight and showed changes in levels of at least 20 key proteins found in fat. The altered proteins work to break down fats.
“These changes provide valuable new molecular insights into the mechanism of the anti-obesity effects of capsaicin,” the scientists wrote.
Sources:
* American Chemical Society: New evidence that chili pepper ingredient fights fat
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