"Death Pepper" appears in Taiwan! Eating chili peppers can reduce body fat, the spicier the better?

The Carolina Reaper, which is recognized as the hottest pepper in the world, was successfully grown in Tamsui by Taiwan's "Chili King" Lin Jianxun, attracting many "spicy food lovers" who are eager to try it! Nutritionists remind us that although chili peppers can increase appetite, promote metabolism, and help reduce annoying body fat and visceral fat, eating too much or eating too spicy food may cause stomach ulcers, so people should not try it lightly.

The highest spiciness is 2.2 million degrees. Taiwan has also grown the "Death Pepper"!

The Carolina Reaper pepper got its name because it was first cultivated in Carolina, USA. It has a bright red and bumpy appearance and looks ugly. The average Scoville Scale is 1.569 million degrees and can reach a maximum of 2.2 million degrees. It is currently recognized as the hottest pepper in the world. The Scoville index is a spiciness index based on the capsaicin content. The higher the Scoville index value, the higher the capsaicin content will be.

Eat chili peppers to reduce body fat! Capsaicin is the key!

Zheng Huiwen, a nutritionist from the New Nutrition Food Generation team, said that capsaicin in chili peppers can not only make the body red and hot, but also activate the sympathetic nerves, prompting brown adipose tissue to produce heat, thereby increasing the body's energy consumption and reducing body fat.

Past studies have found that giving experimental mice 10 mg of capsaicin per kilogram of body weight showed a significant decrease in weight after 2 weeks. Another human experiment also found that after the subjects first followed a very low-calorie diet for 4 weeks, one group of people took an additional 135 mg of capsaicin daily for the next 3 months. The results showed that the fat consumption lasted longer than the other group of subjects.

Stop it! To lose weight by eating chili peppers, it is effective to swallow 400 grams of chili peppers every day!

It seems that capsaicin can really help with weight loss and lowering body fat. However, nutritionist Zheng Huiwen emphasized that the capsaicin content of general chili peppers varies. In addition, most Taiwanese people do not eat spicy food, and those who like spicy food usually do not eat spicy food every day, so the effect of using chili peppers to lose weight is limited! It would be more effective to adhere to the dietary principles of less oil, less salt, less sugar, more fruits and vegetables, and less processing.

For example, a small chili pepper, which makes many Taiwanese people cry and snot, has a spiciness level of about 30,000 to 48,000 and a capsaicin content of about 310 µg/g. To reach the weight loss threshold of 135mg of capsaicin, you have to eat at least 400 grams a day. What’s more, the “Death Pepper” is extremely spicy, and most people can’t even eat one.

Moreover, if you consume excessive amounts of chili peppers for a long time, you may not achieve your weight loss goal before your stomach is over-stimulated and may even develop ulcers in severe cases. It is recommended that when people want to eat spicy food, they can occasionally add a little chili to the food, and drink boiled water in moderation to relieve the spicy stimulation. This is the health-preserving way that will not harm the body.

Is it necessary to eliminate body fat? Don't underestimate its protection function

Eating chili peppers to lose weight or reduce body fat may also hide another health concern! Nutritionist Cheng Huiwen pointed out that "body fat is not the root of all evil." Body fat can help the body keep warm, support and protect the organs, just like fragile items need to be wrapped in foam paper to protect the contents from damage due to external impact.

Only when there is too much body fat will it cause the production of insulin-resistant substances, such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, TNF-a and other cytokines, which in turn increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Generally speaking, as measured by a body fat meter, the normal body fat ratio is 14-20% for men and 17-24% for women.

Eating spicy food in moderation is good for your health! Which one is better, red or green?

As for peppers, both red peppers and green peppers, which one is more nutritious? Nutritionist Zheng Huiwen analyzed the data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food Nutrition Database and found that, overall, the nutritional value of red peppers is higher than that of green peppers. In particular, red peppers are rich in beta-carotene and their total vitamin A is 18 times that of green peppers. With the same intake, red peppers are better at protecting eyesight and skin. Vitamin A primarily assists in normal visual function and the normal growth of epithelial cells (e.g. skin).