Eat a spicy meal for lunch to lose weight
Scientists believe that the spices trick the body into wanting less food and cause people to eat a fifth less than if they have a milder meal.
Heat from chillies cause an 'oral burn' sensation that leads a person to eat at a slower rate and subsequently to have a smaller portion, US scientists found.
Some 130 participants were served two dishes of either beef chilli or chicken tikka, with a mixture of hot or sweet paprika.
They were recorded eating and asked to consume as much or as little as they wanted, with data showing they ate 11 per cent less of the noticeably spicier beef chilli and 18 per cent less of the spicier chicken tikka.
'Spiciness slowed people down'
Dr Paige Cunningham, a food scientist at Pennsylvania State University, led the research and initially thought the drop in consumption could be down to people enjoying it less because it was too spicy, or drinking more water to cope and therefore feeling more full quicker.
However, both of these explanations were ruled out.
She told The Telegraph: 'They liked the meals equally and drank similar amounts of water. Instead, they differed in eating rate.
'Increasing spiciness slowed people down and we know from other research slowing down eating typically reduces how much people eat.'
She said the sensation of 'oral burn' is probably causing the reduction in appetite.
The study authors wrote: 'These experiments identify a non-textural manipulation that can be used to slow eating rate and reduce ad libitum intake without adversely impacting food pleasure.'
While the long-term impacts of the spicy diet remain unknown, there is reason to believe a spicy lunch could have significant benefits for the waistline.
Dr Cunningham said: 'For a single meal, increasing spiciness reduces energy intake.
'If this reduction in energy intake is maintained over time, which is a big if, this might help individuals reduce energy intake, which could help with weight maintenance or even weight loss.
'That said, this study didn't investigate weight management or weight loss directly, so we can't make any claims how these effects might persist over time.'
The scientists write: 'The current study provides evidence that, through its influence on oral processing and consumption behaviour, this common ingredient can be beneficial for weight management and reduce risk of energy overconsumption at meals.'
'Goldilock's Zone' for spice
The study also identified a 'Goldilock's Zone' for how spicy a dish should be to benefit from the oral burn without being unpleasantly fiery.
Dr Cunningham and her team found that a dish which scored between 54 and 68 out of 100 for heat was ideal, adding that this will vary depending on the person and their own individual spice tolerance.
For example, while some may find a Madras or Vindaloo within their own Goldilocks Zone, for other more delicate pallets a Korma or Pasanda may suffice.
The scientists only investigated the role of chilli in this study as capsaicin – the active ingredient in chilli and paprika – is well known for its ability to trigger oral burn.
However, other herbs and spices, including horseradish, wasabi, mustard and even garlic, may also replicate the findings.
'The extent to which these foods might cause enough oral burn to slow eating and reduce intake could be interesting to investigate as well,' the scientists write.
The study was published in the journal Food Quality and Preference.
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