Khaberni - An American study has revealed that adding a bit of spicy spices to meals is an effective way to reduce the amount of food one consumes, thereby lowering the calorie intake obtained.
According to the study conducted by a research team from the University of Pennsylvania, it appears that chili peppers and similar spices directly affect the size of the meal consumed.
The study, published in the scientific journal Food Quality and Preference specializing in nutritional sciences, confirms that spicy foods induce individuals to reduce food and calorie intakes.
The researcher Paige Canineham, the head of the study team, said: "We know that eating slowly leads to consuming lesser amounts of it".
She added in statements to the scientific research site Scitech Daily: "We believe that spicy foods slow down the pace of eating, and we have conducted a scientific experiment to test this hypothesis."
The experiment involved serving meals seasoned with varying degrees of hot pepper to a group of volunteers, while measuring the amount of food each of them consumed, maintaining the overall taste of the meal.
The results showed that increasing the intensity of the spices affects the speed of eating and contributes to reducing food and calorie amounts.
Canineham explained that participants in the experiment ate the spicy food at a slower pace, keeping the food in their mouths for longer periods, which helped enhance the feelings of fullness and satiety, and led them to consume lesser amounts.
Meanwhile, researcher John Hayes, a professor of nutritional sciences and a participant in the study, confirmed that these results: "suggest the possibility of using hot pepper as a strategy to limit overeating."
