By Sola Ogundipe

Do you know that spicing up your daily diet with some red, hot pepper can curb your appetite, especially if you are not a regular consumer of pepper soup or other peppered dishes?

Pepper lovers have another excuse to indulge in their favourite spice as food and nutrition researchers have found that consuming red pepper can help manage appetite and burn more calories after a meal, especially for individuals who do not consume the spice regularly.

They advise that simple habits such as sprinkling red pepper on your meal, may be enough and beneficial in the long run, especially when paired with exercise and healthy eating.

Several studies have found that capsaicin, the component that gives chili peppers their heat, can reduce hunger and increase energy expenditure — burning calories. The amounts tested, however, were not found to be realistic for most people.

A new study measured pepper’s effects using quantities of red pepper — 1 gram or half a teaspoon — that are acceptable for many consumers. Other studies also have looked at consumption via a capsule, but this study demonstrated that tasting the red pepper may optimise its effects. The findings are published in Physiology & Behavior.

This study used ordinary dried, ground cayenne red pepper. Cayenne is a chili pepper, which is among the most commonly consumed spices in the world.

This study found that those who did not consume red pepper regularly experienced a decrease of hunger, especially for fatty, salty and sweet foods.

The appetite responses were different between those who liked red pepper and those who did not, suggesting that when the stimulus is unfamiliar it has a greater effect.

Once it becomes familiar to people, it loses its efficacy. They agree that there is a difference between users and non-users but this difference requires further study.

The findings also show that red pepper should be consumed in non-capsule form because the taste maximises the digestive process.