Cayenne Pepper For Weight Loss Results – Study Review

Using cayenne pepper for weight loss may help to promote appetite control and boost the metabolism.

Like all chili peppers, cayenne pepper extract contains capsaicin. Capsaicin is an alkaloid that is reported to reduce food intake, enhance metabolic activity, increase heat production in the body and inhibit the maturation of fat cells.

Some small human studies have confirmed cayenne’s apparent weight loss effects, but more research is needed in large, randomized human trials. Population studies also suggest there is a link between higher consumption of spicy foods and healthier body weight.

Cayenne extract is a natural thermogenic which can cause your body to burn more calories. It also reduces food cravings and promotes fullness when consumed with a meal, which can help you consume fewer calories.

Capsaicin

Pepper Extract

Joints

Appetite Control

Vitality

How It Works:

• Supports healthy digestion & blood flow
• Promotes joint function & pain relief
• Promotes appetite control & weight loss

Dosage:

Between 1000 - 2000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

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Cayenne Supplements for Weight Loss?

Cayenne extract works to support a weight loss diet by making it easier to eat fewer calories without feeling hungry.

This supplement can also increase your metabolism and cause your body temperature to rise, resulting in an increase in the calories you burn.

However, you should not rely on cayenne pepper supplements alone if you are trying to lose weight. It is important to adopt lifestyle changes, eat a healthier diet and get more activity to maintain weight loss results.

The effects of this thermogenic supplement are thought to wear off over time as you build up a tolerance to the active ingredient capsaicin.

This means it will start to become less effective and can cause your weight loss efforts to plateau. When you stop taking cayenne extract, you may experience weight regain if you do not make lasting changes to your diet and exercise routine.

While the use of cayenne pepper supplements may help you get started towards achieving your weight loss goals, healthy eating and regular activity are important for sustainable weight management

How does Cayenne Pepper Work for Weight Loss?

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCD) states that there are more than 1700 supplements available which contain cayenne extract.

Many of these supplements claim to help facilitate weight loss and healthy weight management.

The primary active ingredient in cayenne pepper extract for fat loss is capsaicin.

Capsaicin has been observed to activate TRPV1 receptors throughout the body. TRPV1 is an acronym for Transient Receptor Potential cation channel subfamily V member 1.

These receptors are sometimes called capsaicin receptors and are located in the brain, spinal cord, liver, adrenals, sensory nerves, bladder, gut, blood vessels, muscle cells and fat cells.

You will also see capsaicin referred to as a TRPV1 agonist, which means it turns on or activates this type of receptor.

When you eat cayenne peppers, the capsaicin found in this pepper stimulates TRPV1 receptors in many cell types throughout the body.

According to a 2016 review, “Activation of TRPV1 leads to increased intracellular calcium signaling and, subsequently, various physiological effects.”. [1]

Capsaicin, TRPV1 and Fat Loss

Research shows that when cayenne pepper is taken orally, even small amounts can activate TRPV1 on a systemic level. In particular, activating TRPV1 in the adrenal glands causes adrenaline release. Adrenaline acts on beta-adrenergic receptors in fat cells to increase metabolic rate.

When mice were fed capsaicin along with a diet high in fat, they consumed less food than mice only given the high-fat diet. These effects are in line with data from some human trials.

A 2014 research study showed that adding capsaicin to the diet can increase feelings of fullness after eating (known as satiety). It also seems to decrease impulsive food intake when food is provided ad libitum (unrestricted).

Further, in those with negative energy balance, capsaicin decreases the desire to eat more after meals. [2]

In one human study, healthy men who consumed 750 mg capsaicin before meals reduced fat intake by between 13.3% and 15.5%. This amounted to reductions in total food intake between 8.1% and 8.5%. [3]

By improving appetite control, this supplement may make it easier to achieve a negative calorie balance and prevent overeating. This can both support weight loss and prevent weight gain in people who ae not dieting.

Cayenne Pepper and Fat Oxidation

In addition to potentially helping to decrease food consumption, using cayenne pepper for weight loss may also increase fat oxidation.

Fat oxidation refers to the amount of energy gained from fatty acids in the diet, instead of from other energy substrates like glucose.

In other words, it is a measure of how much fat in the body is being broken down and converted into energy to fuel functions in the body.

Increased fat oxidation via oral ingestion of capsaicin has been noted in rodents and humans in clinical studies.

In untrained, yet healthy men, 150mg capsaicin doses before low-intensity exercise increased fat oxidation rates significantly relative to placebo controls. [4]

This suggests that consuming foods or supplements that contain cayenne could cause your body to get more of its energy from the breakdown of fat, which could theoretically result in a reduction of stored body fat or adipose tissue.

Cayenne Pepper and Thermogenesis

Thermogenesis refers to the production of heat within the body. In mammals including humans, thermogenesis refers to heat produced when cells metabolize energy. Increasing cellular metabolism causes more heat to be produced inside the body.

Using cayenne pepper for weight loss can upregulate thermogenesis by stimulating neurons which express TRPV1 receptors. Again, beta-adrenergic activation seems to be the key here. [5]

Researchers continue to investigate how capsaicin-induced thermogenesis may affect weight loss and/or prevent the regaining of lost weight.

Cayenne Pepper and Adipogenesis

Adipocytes are cells that specialize in producing and storing large globules of fat. Adipogenesis refers to the maturation of preadipocytes into mature adipocytes. As noted above, adipocytes express TRPV1 receptors.

Capsaicin decreases the accumulation of fat within adipocytes, at least during periods of adipogenesis.

In one study using isolated adipocytes, fat cell accumulations were reduced by roughly 61%. However, adipocytes which were not in active periods of adipogenesis did not react to capsaicin. [5]

Fatty acid synthase is a multifunctional protein enzyme. It is necessary for the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids. In the study above, fatty acid synthase activities were reduced by 91%.

Even small amounts of capsaicin have been shown to slow down adipogenesis. This may be due to reduced triglyceride accumulations that commonly occur during preadipocyte differentiation into mature adipocytes.

Is Using Cayenne Pepper for Weight Loss Safe?

Chili peppers like cayenne have been used in traditional medicine systems for thousands of years.

According to NMCD, people use cayenne pepper extract products orally, topically and intranasally. Some of the uses for cayenne extract supplements besides weight loss include:

• Cardiovascular conditions like poor circulation, excessive blood clotting and hyperlipidemia;
• Conditions that cause pain like osteoarthritis, shingles, back injury and diabetic neuropathy (nerve dysfunction);
• Head and sinus conditions like migraine headache, cluster headache, sinusitis and rhinitis;
• Gastrointestinal conditions like heartburn, flatulence, diarrhea and colic;

Capsaicin-containing peppers like red cayenne are not associated with any serious or lasting side effects in healthy adults.

They are rated as Likely Safe in amounts commonly gained from the diet and Possibly Safe for short-term use in medicinal amounts.

In some sensitive people, cayenne pepper supplementation can cause sweating, abdominal discomfort, flushing and faintness. Other possible reactions to capsaicin include irritation to mucous membranes, and possible burning/stinging at topical application sites.

Using cayenne pepper for weight loss can also cause interactions with certain health conditions, medications and herbal supplements. Talk to your doctor about the safety of this dietary supplement if you have a previously-diagnosed health condition or if you use prescription medications.

There are no direct research studies examining the effects of cayenne extract on weight loss in humans. However, existing evidence suggests that cayenne may reduce hunger, increase fat metabolism and limit the amount of fat the body stores.

More research is needed to determine the efficacy of cayenne pepper supplements for weight loss in humans.

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