One of the issues with losing weight is that inevitably, your metabolism will slow down!
One of the reasons this happens is because you don't weigh as much, and therefore aren't burning as many calories daily as you were when you first starting dieting.
But there's been some research that's excited a lot of people - that might have a solution to speeding up a slower metabolism somewhat, that occurs during a calorie deficit.
Speeding Up Your Metabolism Whilst Trying to Lose Weight With Capsaicin
The researchers used capsaicin in this study (1), to find out whether or not it could bolster the effect of a low-calorie diet on losing weight.
19 healthy subjects were used in the research and were given capsaicin at mealtimes.
They received chilli powder, which contained 2.45 mg capsaicin, 0.28 mg of nordihydrocapsaicin and 1.44 mg dihydrocapsaicin per gram.
So why the chilli powder?
Because it interacts with the vanilloid receptor which boosts metabolic rate.
The subjects were using chilli powder regulary before the study - they had to chose people doing this because some people don't react well to this high amount.
The subjects spent 36 hours in a respiration chamber four times, so their energy expenditure could be measured.
Occasion One: They consumed 100% of their TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), and took no capsaicin
Occasion Two: Consumed the same energy, but had capsaicin at each main meal.
Occasion Three: Consumed 75 percent of their expended energy, taking NO capsaicin.
Occasion Four: Consumed the same amount of energy, but took capsaicin at each main meal.
And what did they find?
The restriction of calories reduced the total amount of energy they expended - this we know.
BUT....the capsaicin reduced the amount of that reduction!
In other words - they burnt more calories in the same deficit when they threw in the capsaicin.
Other interesting findings were that when the subjects consumed 75% of their calorie requirements and didn't have the capsaicin - they didn't burn a whole lot more fat.
But when they threw it in at each meals, there was a large increase in fat burnt.
They concluded:
"In an effectively 20.5 percent negative energy balance, consumption of 2.56 mg capsaicin per meal supports negative energy balance by counteracting the unfavorable negative energy balance effect of decrease in components of energy expenditure......Moreover, consumption of 2.56 mg capsaicin per meal promotes fat oxidation in negative energy balance and does not increase blood pressure significantly."
"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"
REFERENCES
(1) Janssens PL, Hursel R, Martens EA, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Acute effects of capsaicin on energy expenditure and fat oxidation in negative energy balance. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 2;8(7):e67786. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067786. Print 2013.
Author
Dayne Hudson