Pepper!! Do you think pepper is good, bad or neutral for weight loss?

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peggy75mf
peggy75mf Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I see some articles saying it increases appetite, while othets saying it is good for weight loss. I usually do not add pepper in my meals, but think that maybe eating spicy foods will boost metabolism

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Pepper is very low calorie (17 calories for 7 grams, which is about a tablespoon). I wouldn't consider it "good" or "bad" for weight loss, it's just a seasoning. If you personally find it increases your appetite, you might want to limit it.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Well, tigers love pepper. What more is there to say?
  • ansmit4642014
    ansmit4642014 Posts: 67 Member
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    I use it a LOT cause I have high blood pressure & cant have salt
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    The increase in calorie burn from spicy foods is, if anything, so small as to be practically insignificant.

    If you like pepper or other spices - use them but they add practically zero fat loss improvement.

    Get the big hitters in place - measure and track your food, ensuring that you hit a modest calorific deficit on a frequent basis. All the other stuff is really secondary to that.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Pepper is irrelevant to weight management...it's just a spice.

    Eating spicy foods will boost metabolism, but it's not like it's material...maybe a couple more calories than you otherwise would have burned...but it's not black pepper, it's things like cayenne pepper, green or red chile peppers, etc...peppers with capsaicin which makes them fiery hot.

    Stuff like this is big time majoring in the minors.
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
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    peggy75mf wrote: »
    I see some articles saying it increases appetite, while othets saying it is good for weight loss. I usually do not add pepper in my meals, but think that maybe eating spicy foods will boost metabolism

    WUT? I add black pepper because I like the flavor. It has jackshit to do with boosting metabolism.
  • accidentalpancake
    accidentalpancake Posts: 484 Member
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    Are you referring to black pepper or peppers? I don't find black pepper to spice my food up at all; peppers, on the other hand...
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
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    I think it's bad for weight loss. It causes me to retain huge amounts of water and leads to serious joint pain and inflammation so I can't exercise...therefore, bad. Likely, you do not have this issue.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    One thing about black pepper is that it contains piperide, which increases the absorption of curcumin, which is a compound found in turmeric which some studies have found lowers inflammation and improves blood glucose. So if you add turmeric to your food, adding some black pepper at the same time improves the health benefits.

    I recall some studies have found that capsaicin, the compound in red pepper which makes red peppers hot, boosts metabolism and improves weight loss, but I believe the effect was pretty minimal and not necessarily duplicated by other studies. Talking off the top of my head on this one, you would have to look it up.

    In general anything that increases your enjoyment of low calorie foods will help you stay on a diet.
  • peggy75mf
    peggy75mf Posts: 6 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Pepper is irrelevant to weight management...it's just a spice.

    Thanks!
    I completely agree it is irrelevant to weight management.
    It just to came my mind, because I compared food habits and body shape of different regions (& in different countries) , and noticed those who use pepper a lot, in spite of eating much much more ! are very thin!! and thought may be pepper is a factor for boosting metabolism! just a guess!


    Thanks
  • peggy75mf
    peggy75mf Posts: 6 Member
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    rheddmobile wrote: »
    One thing about black pepper is that it contains piperide, which increases the absorption of curcumin, which is a compound found in turmeric which some studies have found lowers inflammation and improves blood glucose. So if you add turmeric to your food, adding some black pepper at the same time improves the health benefits.

    I recall some studies have found that capsaicin, the compound in red pepper which makes red peppers hot, boosts metabolism and improves weight loss, but I believe the effect was pretty minimal and not necessarily duplicated by other studies. Talking off the top of my head on this one, you would have to look it up.

    In general anything that increases your enjoyment of low calorie foods will help you stay on a diet.

    Thanks a lot.
    Very useful!!
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    Neutral.

    The studies that have looked at capsaicin and weight loss have not found enough of a relationship to be an important consideration. If you like pepper and the flavor helps make healthful foods more palatable, then go for it.

    I use the term "healthful foods" advisedly. It has a broad range of definitions that depend on individual health and dietary needs. Peanuts may be healthful for me but drive you into anaphalactic shock.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    peggy75mf wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Pepper is irrelevant to weight management...it's just a spice.

    Thanks!
    I completely agree it is irrelevant to weight management.
    It just to came my mind, because I compared food habits and body shape of different regions (& in different countries) , and noticed those who use pepper a lot, in spite of eating much much more ! are very thin!! and thought may be pepper is a factor for boosting metabolism! just a guess!


    Thanks

    Maybe you perceive that they are eating much more, but I can assure you that if they're lean, they're not eating much more in terms of calories or there are other factors involved which increases their energy expenditure (ie they're a more active group or society)...it has nothing to do with pepper or pepper...

    I live in New Mexico and all of our traditional foods will pretty much have flames shooting out of your mouth while you eat and we have a wide spread obesity epidemic in this state.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
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    This has got me wondering what role spices play in consumption, if any. I think I feel more satisfied after eating a meal with strong flavors. Bland food is soon forgotten, I think.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    This has got me wondering what role spices play in consumption, if any. I think I feel more satisfied after eating a meal with strong flavors. Bland food is soon forgotten, I think.

    I think it can cut both ways, at least for some people. When something is deliciously spiced, it can sometimes be harder to stop eating it.
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I have found, for myself, that when I spice things up with pepper and hot sauce, I tend to eat slower...which in turn allows me to realize that I'm full faster. So, while the compounds in it may or may not do anything at a molecular level, it is still a big big help for me to identify when I'm full sooner...so I stop eating sooner...so I don't overeat.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    accidentalpancake wrote: »
    Are you referring to black pepper or peppers? I don't find black pepper to spice my food up at all; peppers, on the other hand...

    Maybe try buying black peppercorns someplace else? It sad they have no taste! The peppercorns I get at Whole Foods bulk do not taste the same every time, but sometimes they have just the most amazing taste. Keep trying until you find ones that taste good!

    This has nothing to do with weight loss, appetite or metabolism, but I notice when I have a lot of ancho chile (e.g. in a strong posole), it noticeably lifts my mood! God, I love that stuff! It's just a dried poblano, which I like a lot too. Capsaicin.
  • accidentalpancake
    accidentalpancake Posts: 484 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    accidentalpancake wrote: »
    Are you referring to black pepper or peppers? I don't find black pepper to spice my food up at all; peppers, on the other hand...

    Maybe try buying black peppercorns someplace else? It sad they have no taste! The peppercorns I get at Whole Foods bulk do not taste the same every time, but sometimes they have just the most amazing taste. Keep trying until you find ones that taste good!

    This has nothing to do with weight loss, appetite or metabolism, but I notice when I have a lot of ancho chile (e.g. in a strong posole), it noticeably lifts my mood! God, I love that stuff! It's just a dried poblano, which I like a lot too. Capsaicin.

    Didn't say I don't enjoy pepper or that it has no taste, it's just not something that registers as spicy for me.

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