Weight loss and spicy food

Options
pandamonium1987
pandamonium1987 Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey MFPers!

1)Is it true that spicy food such as Cayenne pepper can help to lose weight?

2)Do some types of spicy food damage your stomach lining and cause ulcers?

3)If spicy foods can help, what would you recommend and how much?

Replies

  • jexebelle
    jexebelle Posts: 7
    Options
    1. Nope
    2. Yes, but only if you've got a sensitive stomach or existing damage, I would imagine
    3. Any and all, because while they're not going to make you magically lose weight, spicy things are delicious
  • Fit_Forever25
    Fit_Forever25 Posts: 313 Member
    Options
    I have never heard of such thing!
    Spicy food and weight loss! I feel it can only make your digestion system worse and you can have problems like ulcers and acidity.
    I am an Indian and we are famous for very hot food but if thats the case then I should have lost a lot of weight years ago :bigsmile:
    I have switched from that hot and spicy food to healthy food and I can see the difference now.
    In my opinion this is rubbish!
    Try eating healthy and low calorie food and you will see the better results. I think more spicy food will always have more calories so Big no!
    Have fun :drinker:
  • appleseeds
    appleseeds Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    I think people say spicy food helps because it 'speeds up your metabolism but I'm sure thats rubbish.
  • samanthaalgar27
    samanthaalgar27 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    This is what I've heard:

    "Weight loss with spicy food is possible because it increases your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories. This is because the spices increase your body temperature and contributes to an increase in your heart rate, too. Remember that the increase happening in your body temperature and heart rate requires energy."

    Hope this helps!
  • RainbowDream83
    RainbowDream83 Posts: 91
    Options
    I've heard that it helps with weight loss also.
    I LOVE spicy foods.

    Suppossed to speed up your metabolism, make you drink more water etc,.
    I wouldn't use it as a weight loss tool myself though, I just enjoy hot stuff - in moderation.

    Hot salsa is yummy on my salad lol
  • anulle2009
    anulle2009 Posts: 580 Member
    Options
    I have seen a lot of articles saying they are linked but I am not sure how true it really is. I would assume if you have problems already with spicy foods, but I dont believe they can cause damages unless maybe you plan on eating a jar of jalapenos or something.
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    Options
    I have heard this before but I'm not sure about it.... I have lost 98lbs in the past year - and I eat spicy foods - but I don't think that had anything to do with the weight loss... haha.... I wish it was that easy! I put mexican hot sauce on my salads every day! LOVE IT!! :) And I put red pepper in almost everything I cook, including when I make pizza!
  • tiedye
    tiedye Posts: 331 Member
    Options
    I eat spicy food because I enjoy eating spicy food, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat if I didn't enjoy it just because it may or may not help with metabolism. Here are some articles to check out:

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/289472-spicy-foods-and-weight-loss/

    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/hillarys-health-plan-hot-peppers/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/28/health/nutrition/28real.html

    "Generally, studies have shown that on average a meal containing a spicy dish, like a bowl of chili, can temporarily increase metabolism by about 8 percent over a person’s normal rate, an amount considered fairly negligible. But besides a slight uptick in metabolism, spicy foods may also increase feelings of satiety...

    THE BOTTOM LINE Research suggests that spicy foods can increase metabolism, though only to a minor extent."
    (from the 2006 article)
  • applekoko19
    applekoko19 Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    I remember reading that chilli has been shown to boost metabolism in studies but you would need to eat an unpleasant amount of chilli to reproduce the results in your body... Best of luck with the weight loss :)
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Options
    I doubt that the actual direct impact on weight loss is worth mentioning. This is of course my own personal speculation, but if there is any increase in metabolism from spicy food, it's probably so small that it doesn't matter.

    That being said, go out and time yourself eating 10 ounces of mild chili
    Now time yourself eating 10 ounces of chili that's so spicy it makes your eyes water and your mouth burn.

    Which did you finish first? THAT is the reason I absolutely swear by spicy food when I'm dieting. I'm going through a bottle of habanero a week or more right now. I'm a naturally fast eater, and making things spicy not only makes them delicious, but also forces me to slow down which in turn reduces the likelihood of me losing control and eating a ton.
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    Options
    If eating spicy food majorly helped people lose weight, we'd all be on the chilli pepper diet!

    It is supposed to aid someone who is already eating healthily and exercising regularly...but then these often are "scientific breakthroughs" and in a few months time, wind up being "diet myths".

    Here's an article from 2010...

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7640261/Chilli-peppers-help-burn-away-the-fat.html
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    Options
    I doubt that the actual direct impact on weight loss is worth mentioning. This is of course my own personal speculation, but if there is any increase in metabolism from spicy food, it's probably so small that it doesn't matter.

    That being said, go out and time yourself eating 10 ounces of mild chili
    Now time yourself eating 10 ounces of chili that's so spicy it makes your eyes water and your mouth burn.

    Which did you finish first? THAT is the reason I absolutely swear by spicy food when I'm dieting. I'm going through a bottle of habanero a week or more right now. I'm a naturally fast eater, and making things spicy not only makes them delicious, but also forces me to slow down which in turn reduces the likelihood of me losing control and eating a ton.

    I find that when food is too spicy, it ends up numbing my tastebuds!

    *which I guess would prevent me from eating as much....good idea :bigsmile:
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    Options
    The way I see it is this...I can't add sugar or salt to my food so I add cayenne pepper to give it taste and heat without adding stuff that is bad for you!

    Might be wrong on this but that's what I do.
  • Shabnam222
    Shabnam222 Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    I've read this too but not sure how true or effective it is.
  • JenSmith1104
    JenSmith1104 Posts: 58
    Options
    This is what I've heard:

    "Weight loss with spicy food is possible because it increases your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories. This is because the spices increase your body temperature and contributes to an increase in your heart rate, too. Remember that the increase happening in your body temperature and heart rate requires energy."

    Hope this helps!

    ^this!
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
    Options
    i went to a fitness camp for a week last summer.they took away all condiments from us . the only thing we were allowed to have was pepper and franks hot sauce .. ive adjusted to that habit at home . i dont tend to put alot of the sauce on my food as i would ketchup or mayo ect.. ive lost a good amount of weight but attributed it to the diet and exercise. the hot sauce added some flavor for me to get me through bland tasting food without excess calories. i am pretty taken aback at how much condiments and sauces i used to smother my food in
  • pandamonium1987
    pandamonium1987 Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    Many thanks for all the replies!
    The reason I asked is one of my skinny friends swears by the fact that she dilutes cayenne pepper in water and drinks a litre of it everyday. I was dubious as to whether this would be the reason for her slim figure. A more likely reason is probably her genetics.

    I love spicy food, but can only eat small amounts of it due to a stupid stomach ulcer. So as with all good things in life, moderation is key.
    Keep well fellow MFPers!
    xxx

Categories