Trying to Lose Weight for Summer? This Surprising Spice Could Curb Your Appetite

With summer right around the corner, it’s no surprise that many people are on a mission to shed some winter pounds. With more time spent shirtless and soaking up the sun, now’s as good a time as any to lean out. While we don’t recommend slashing calories like you’re prepping for a bodybuilding show, it's not a bad idea to assess your portion sizes and the nutritional value of the foods you're eating. And as it turns out, eating smaller meals might not have to feel as restrictive as you think.

A new study from Penn State suggests that adding a little spice to your meals could be the secret weapon for cutting back on calories without missing out on your favorite foods.

“We know from previous studies that when people slow down, they eat significantly less,” said the study's lead author, Paige Cunningham. “We suspected that making a meal spicier might slow people down. We thought, let's test, under controlled experimental conditions in the lab, if adding a small amount of spice, but not so much that the meal is inedible, will make people eat slower and therefore eat less.”

For the experiment, the team served one of two lunch options—beef chili or chicken tikka masala—to 130 adults. The researchers kept the chili flavor consistent in both dishes, but varied the ratio of hot versus sweet paprika to make the dishes either mild or spicy. 

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The scientists then video recorded participants as they ate their meals to monitor their reactions while eating. Afterwards team measured variables such as the amount of food and water consumed, meal duration, bite rate, bite size, and beyond. They also gathered ratings on participants' appetite, how much they liked the food, and the amount of spiciness before and after the meal. 

They found that the group eating the spicier food ate less, something Cunningham suggests occurred because they ate more slowly and processed their food intake more. What's more is that both groups drank roughly the same amount of water, which suggests that participants didn't fill up on water.

“This points to added chilies as a potential strategy for reducing the risk of energy overconsumption,” said corresponding author John Hayes. “While portion control wasn’t the explicit goal of this study, our results suggest this might work. Next time you're looking to eat a little less, try adding a blast of chilies, as it may slow you down and help you eat less.”