CHILLIES
B
OTH CAPSICUMS AND CHILLIES
are loaded with good stuff.
In fact, red capsicums were
recently ranked the most antioxidant
rich of the 10 most commonly
consumed veg in the Western diet –
beating other nutritional heavyweights
such as broccoli and spinach. A single
80g (3oz) serving of capsicums is
packed with more than twice the
amount of vitamin C you need a day,
plus a good helping of fibre, vitamin
A and carotenoids. Add to this the
growing stack of evidence behind the
biological effects of the spicy chemical
called capsaicin in chillies and you have
a pretty potent nutritional cocktail on
your hands.MANAGEMENT
A growing range of studies is beginning
to point to the idea that eating chillies
may not only be an effective way to
control appetite, but also boost the
number of calories you burn, while
slowing the impact of carbs on your
blood sugar. Too good to be true? Well,
let’s take a look at the evidence we have
so far.
One small study published in
the International Journal of Obesity
decided to put the theory to the testby giving people just under 1g of dried
chilli (about ½ tsp) half an hour before
presenting them with giant, all-you-
can-eat buffets at both lunch and
dinner. Compared to those consuming
a placebo, the chilli group slashed their
total calorie consumption by about
15 per cent, while simultaneously
reporting greater feelings of fullness.
This sort of reduction is the equivalent
to cutting out an impressive 240
calories per day – about the amount
found in a chocolate bar – all without
going hungry!
This trial echoed the findings of
a series of Japanese studies, which
found that chilli consumption not
only reduces appetite, but also
significantly increases the rate our
bodies burn calories by raising our body
temperature, especially after high-fat
meals. Add this to the two small trials
in Australia and South Africa that found
supplementing chilli to a meal reduced
the impact of that meal on blood sugar
and I for one will be reaching for the
hot sauce.
Is eating chillies the magic bullet to
weight loss? Of course not. Could it be
a tasty, nutritious way to potentially
help manage weight in the context of a
healthy diet? It seems it just might be!Found in curries, stews, salads and even
in some puddings, capsicums and chillies
seem to have more than just a volcanic
blast of heat to offer us...
As wit h pret ty much all fruit and veg, t he
evidence shows t hat t he brighter t heir colour,
t he more photonutrients capsicums contain...
CAPSICUMS
Heat in the kitchen with
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