Ethiopian Review

There’s new evidence that the ingredient that provides the heat in chili peppers, capsaicin, may cause weight loss and fight fat buildup by triggering certain beneficial protein changes in the body.

The study is published in the Journal of Proteome Research.

Scientists fed high-fat diets with or without capsaicin to lab rats used to study obesity. The capsaicin-treated rats lost 8 percent of their body weight and showed changes in levels of at least 20 key proteins found in fat.

They say the findings could lead to new treatments for obesity.

"These changes provide valuable new molecular insights into the mechanism of the anti-obesity effects of capsaicin," the researchers say.

Lead researcher Jong Won Yun, Ph.D. and colleagues point out that obesity is a major public health threat worldwide, linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health problems.

Previous studies have suggested that capsaicin may help fight obesity by decreasing calorie intake, shrinking fat tissue, and lowering fat levels in the blood. Scientists say it is unknown exactly how the compound might trigger such beneficial effects.

- DrCutler.com