Is green chilli effective for weight loss?

We all have come across several weight loss trends and have been told to try various food and food combinations to reduce the weight. From herbs to spices to warm water, we use a number of this and that to get rid of the extra fat from our body.

But did you know that green chilli can also help in weight loss? Sounds scary, right? One can think of doing an hour or two extra in gym but not having a green chilli meal for weight loss!

Here are some facts on how green chilli is effective in weight loss:

1 serving of green chilli contains 11% vitamin A, 182% vitamin C and 3% iron. These are rich in dietary fibres and are devoid of cholesterol.

The nutrient loaded green chilli is good for eyes, skin and immune system.

It is said that capsaicin has a stimulating effect on the nose and sinuses.

Read: Dasvi actor Nimrat Kaur shares weight loss story with a hard hitting message for all

Many research studies have confirmed the effect of capsaicin, a major active compound found in chilli, in weight loss. "In one double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, it indicated that treatment of overweight or obese subjects with 6 mg/day capsinoid for 12 weeks was associated with abdominal fat loss measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Body weight was decreased as 0.9 and 0.5 kg in the capsinoid and placebo groups respectively. Moreover, none of the patients developed any adverse events," found a study and added that capsaicin treatment caused sustained fat oxidation during weight maintenance.

Capsaicin has a prominent role on appetite and the brown adipose tissue, which regulates thermogenesis to maintain body temperature. Studies have found that dietary capsaicin could have a beneficial effect for weight management, by reducing energy intake and activation of brown adipose tissue activity. As per a report, Brown fat, or brown adipose tissue, is a distinct type of fat that is activated in response to cold temperatures. Its primary role is to produce heat to help maintain body temperature, and it achieves that by burning calories

A 2020 study by the American Heart Association has found that those who consume chili pepper may live longer and may have a significantly reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer. The study found that those who ate chili more than four times in a week had significantly lower rates of death, including due to cardiovascular disease, compared with people who rarely or never did.

Obesity is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease.