My son Grant loves hot sauce. He drizzles Cholula (his favorite brand) over steak, chicken, eggs, vegetables, even spaghetti. His little sister dared him to put it in hot chocolate. Which he did. And then declared he loved it. (I’m not convinced. I think perhaps that was his ten-year-old bravado talking, not his taste buds.) Ah, boys, they’ll do anything if dared.
Yes, the orangey-red liquid is a permanent fixture at our dinner table. And breakfast. And lunch.
Interestingly, Grant’s on to something with his hot sauce obsession.
Researchers at Purdue University found that adding a half-teaspoon of ground red cayenne pepper on food can aid weight-loss.
The capsaicin in the pepper, which gives it its heat, reduces hunger and boosts the body’s metabolism.
“We found that consuming red pepper can help manage appetite and burn more calories after a meal, especially for individuals who do not consume the spice regularly,” says Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition who collaborated with doctoral student Mary-Jon Ludy in the study.
The study looked at 13 people who liked spicy food and 12 who didn’t. Those who didn’t consume red pepper regularly experienced a decrease of hunger, especially for fatty, salty and sweet foods.
So if you don’t typically like spicy food, add a little red pepper to your plate and get a kick start on some weight loss.
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