Could Eating Spicy Food Help You Eat Less?
Jake Newby
| 4 min read
Spicing up your food may be more than just a flavor-boosting strategy – it could also be a means of portion control, according to a new study.
When researchers in a recent Penn State crossover study added spice to their participants’ lunch, researchers learned they ate slower, took smaller bites and consumed about 18% fewer calories compared to eating a mild lunch, all while still feeling full and satisfied. Let’s take a closer look at the study and examine a few other important factors.
Does spicy food suppress appetite?
There is a difference between outright helping you lose weight and curbing your appetite, which can help you lose weight by proxy. Eating spicy food doesn’t directly correlate with shedding pounds, but a new study suggests it may affect food intake in the short-term.
That moderate burning feeling you get in your mouth after taking a bite of spicy food may make you pause, chew more and extend the amount of time food stays in your mouth, giving your body time to register fullness and prevent overeating.
People in this 2023 crossover study ate the same lunch twice – one was mild, one was spicy. Though the spice increase was moderate, it provided a noticeable enough burn that they slowed their eating behavior while eating the spicy meal. They ended up chewing more and took longer to finish their spicy meal compared to the mild one.
Smaller studies over the years indicate capsaicin – the chemical in chili peppers that makes them hot – has an effect on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls hunger.
Other small studies have examined how eating spicy food affects appetite and metabolism. A small 2014 study found adding capsaicin to the diet increased fullness and helped prevent overeating, while another small study from 2012 concluded capsaicin suppresses appetite while also increasing energy expenditure and enhancing fat oxidation, a process that affects metabolism by increasing the body ability to use fat for energy.
There have been some claims that spicy food also affects weight loss by speeding up metabolism, but there is not enough evidence to support these claims.
How does oro-sensory exposure contribute to regulating fullness?
This study also ties into the oro-sensory exposure (OSE) concept, and its effect on satiation.
OSE is the experience your mouth and senses feel when you eat and drink. A stronger sensory experience – like one that includes heat and spiciness – can make you feel full sooner, according to research. Other studies have pointed to OSE as an important factor in regulating food intake, with increasing OSE leading to lower food intake.
In the case of spicy foods, the more burn or sensory stimulation you experience, the longer food is likelier to stay in your mouth, giving more time for fullness signals to register.
Why is portion control important?
Portion sizes have steadily increased over the years, especially at restaurants and in packaged foods, according to the American Public Health Association. Research has often shown that people eat more food when offered larger portions. So, portion control is an important element of weight loss and weight management.
Overeating and portion control remain some of the biggest challenges in weight management and public health.
Important considerations and recommendations
Don’t treat this information like a silver bullet for potential weight loss; spice tolerance varies for people. What is mild for one person may be overwhelming for another. Additionally, cultural and regional eating patterns matter. In cuisines that already have a lot of chilis, the incremental spice effect might differ.
It’s also important to note that the Penn State study only measured a short-term situation. Long-term effects weren’t tested, so it’s not certain if people would habituate to higher spice and revert to faster eating. More research is needed.
People who enjoy heat and are generally comfortable with it can try incrementally increasing spice and not going overboard all at once. For example, you could add hot pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to one dish per day to see how it works out for you. Then, observe the changes and adjust from there.
Whether spicing up your life becomes a habit for you or not, it’s always good practice to eat mindfully.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
