When it comes to eating healthy to lose weight, portion control has a major role to play. How it is done depends on the individual. Some people use sheer willpower, others have strict coaches and guardians to make sure that they stick to the plan. However, there is yet another unusual method that is likely to give results.
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Taking to Instagram on May 25, Dr Karan Rajan, a UK-based surgeon and health content creator, explained how adding spicy foods, such as hot sauce, to meals can inadvertently help one control the portions of the food consumed by lowering the appetite.
How spicy foods help lower appetite
To understand how spicy foods such as hot sauce help with appetite control, it is first important to note that the “hot” is not a taste, but rather a burning sensation that one feels while eating such food. It is this phenomenon that comes into play in this situation.
Noting that spice helps in appetite control, Dr Rajan stated, “The active compounds in chilli peppers are capsaicin. It binds to a receptor in your mouth, throat, and gut called TRPV1. This receptor normally responds to actual heat above 43 degrees Celsius and tissue damage. And capsaicin hijacks it chemically, which is why your brain registered burning without the fire.”
“When TRPV1 receptors are activated in your gut, they trigger the release of satiety hormones, specifically GLP-1 and PYY from the enteroendocrine cells in your intestinal lining, and your gut interprets this spice as a signal to start winding down the meal and make you feel full,” he continued.
Dr Rajan further cited a 2017 study titled, Capsaicin and capsiate could be appropriate agents for treatment of obesity: A meta-analysis of human studies, and stated that in randomised control trials, it has been found that capsaicin consumption significantly reduced the total number of calories consumed per meal versus placebo.
The effect of building up spice tolerance
While adding spice to meals can help control portions initially, if one builds up a spice tolerance over time, the effectiveness of this method is significantly reduced.
In Dr Rajan’s words, “Regular spice consumers showed a reduced appetite-suppressing effect compared to those who rarely eat spice because chronic TRPV1 activation causes receptor desensitisation. So, if you already throw hot sauce on everything, your TRPV1 receptors are downregulated, and the signal is blunted.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
