How Chile Peppers Can Boost Your Metabolism

Chile peppers have been shown to help your body burn fat by boosting your metabolism.  Their popularity as a fat burner is undoubtedly growing.  And, while there is no magic bullet for weight loss every little bit counts so it's good to know which foods can help.

A chile pepper's most powerful fat burning component is capsaicin.  Capsaicin and other related substances called capsaicinoids are responsible for the "heat" in chile peppers.  The way in which they raise your metabolic rate is quite involved but don't worry, I'll keep thing relatively simple so this article doesn't real like a text book.

"So, put away your pocket protector there Poindexter!  This is not BioChemistyIllustrated.com!"

Capsaicin alters the way ATP hydrolysis occurs in muscle cells.  It stops cells from using energy to move calcium ions into the sarcoplasmic reticulum.  Instead the energy is released as heat.  This release of energy raises the body's core temperature.  However, this rise in body temperature is not what makes a pepper seem hot; it's what causes your metabolism to shift into high gear.

"High gear" in this case is called thermogenesis.  Thermogenesis is a natural function in which your body burns stored fat.  A common example of thermogenesis is when animals enter a state of hibernation.  Their bodies can sustain themselves for long periods by burning fat stores.

Science isn't the only indicator that the capsaicin in chile peppers can boost metabolism and burn fat.  History indicates that the consumption of chile peppers contributes to a healthy population.  Cultures all over the world that consume liberal quantities of chile peppers have lower rates of obesity, heart disease and stroke than cultures that do not.

There are cayenne pepper supplements on the market for those who wish to leverage the fat burning effects of chile peppers but as for me... I'll do things the old fashioned way.  After all, not everything that's good for you tastes this good.