Red pepper for fat burning, further evidence

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Red pepper for fat burning, further evidence

11/06/2004 -

 

Japanese scientists have found that red pepper, also known as cayenne

pepper, suppresses fat and energy intake when added to the diet but they say

that this is not a result of the spice’s sensation on the mouth. The

multi-use ingredient adds to confirmed anti-bacterial properties.

 

In a preliminary test, 16 male volunteers tasted samples of a soup with

graded doses of red pepper in order to define a moderate and a maximum

tolerable dose of red pepper.

On the day of the experiment, the researchers gave all volunteers the same

breakfast. At lunchtime, the subjects ingested one of four experimental

soups containing either a placebo, a moderate or a strong dose of red pepper

plus placebo capsules, or a placebo soup plus capsules delivering a strong

dose of red pepper.

 

The amount of food, protein and carbohydrate ingested was similar for all

conditions. Energy and fat intake were similar after the ingestion of the

moderate soup compared with placebo.

 

However, the strong soup significantly lowered fat intake compared with

placebo and ingestion of strong capsules also tended to suppress it, the

team wrote in the February 2003 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition

(pp 991-995).

 

Moreover, energy intake after strong soup and capsules tended to be lower

than placebo.

 

The results indicate that the maximum tolerable dose is necessary to have a

suppressive effect of red pepper on fat intake, said the researchers based

at Japan´s Fukuoka University, but they concluded that the main site of the

action of red pepper is not in the mouth.

 

The findings support previous results showing that red pepper decreases

appetite and subsequent protein and fat intakes in adults.

 

Another Japanese team reported two years ago that the essential oil of

raspberries melts human fat more than three times as much as the compound

capsaicin.

 

Only found in chilli peppers, capsaicin is an extremely powerful and stable

alkaloid produced as a crystal by glands at the junction of the pepper´s

placenta and pod walls.

 

Researchers from the University of Zaragoza in Spain last year developed a

method to extend the shelf life of burgers using peppers and tomatoes.

Published in the February issue of the SCI´s Journal of the Science of Food

and Agriculture the findings are said to provide conclusive evidence that

the shelf life of processed meats can be prolonged without further synthetic

additives.

 

The team of researchers led by Pedro Roncales, produced eight batches of

beef burgers containing different amounts of cayenne pepper, red sweet

pepper and lycopene-enriched tomato products. They found that the addition

of ground peppers (both sweet and hot) to the beef burgers delayed and

´significantly inhibited´ the oxidation of both myoglobin and lipids as well

as the growth of psychotropic bacteria.

 

The report indicates that the addition of lycopene rich tomato products was

not as effective as the treatment with peppers, although they too exerted a

significant antioxidative effect, so that the shelf life was extended to

between 8 and 12 days.

 

According to Pedro Roncales, " peppers and tomatoes are already popular food

additives in many parts of the world because they enhance the flavour of

food. Now our results have shown that they may also be used as an effective

alternative to synthetic antioxidants to prolong the shelf life of meat and

meat products. "