Can eating more chilli help with weight loss?

‘CHILLI HELPS ME BURN FAT’

Can adding pepper sauce to your meals really help you lose weight?

Do ‘good fats’ help your body burn more fat? There are many claims that certain foods such as chilli, green tea and coconut oil can aid weight loss by boosting metabolism or suppressing appetite. But  does the research stack up?

Dr Schenker says: Chilli Burning Fat

‘There have been some interesting studies on the potential of chillies to aid weight loss. Experiments in animals and humans show that eating a meal containing chilli increases energy expenditure and fat oxidation compared to the same meal without chilli. One recent study from Oxford Brookes University looked at the thermic effects of chilli and coconut oil (which contains a type of fat called medium-chain triglycerides, MCT). The researchers concluded that adding chilli and MCT to meals increases the thermic effect of food (the energy burnt when you digest food) by more than 50 per cent, which may, over time, help induce weight loss. This has led to suggestions that regular chilli consumption could help reduce obesity.

However, there are drawbacks: not everyone relishes the thought of a spicy breakfast and, for some, spicy food can cause unpleasant side-effects. The amount of chilli needed to have an effect is high– some studies used 30g per day.

Furthermore, the effect could be lost over time as the body adapts.

‘While there’s some scientific research looking at whether green-tea extracts can influence fat mass and weight loss, at present, there’s no solid proof consumption of green-tea extracts will improve weight loss to any meaningful degree.’

‘THE AMOUNT OF CHILLI REQUIRED TO HAVE AN EFFECT APPEARS TO BE HIGH’

‘Nice as it sounds, there’s no solid evidence that food or drinks are “fat burning” or “burn more calories”. Most “fat-burning” foods are not calorie-laden but don’t burn more calories per se. If you like chilli, there’s no harm in consuming a little more, but don’t expect miraculous results and don’t use it as an excuse to eat unhealthy food. In other words, a hotter curry does not mean a cake later!’

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Detox Juice Recipes for Weight Loss

‘JUICING HELPS ME DETOX’

There’s nothing like a glass of juice to pep you up. It also counts as one of your Five-A-day. But can taking it further and following a juice fast help your body detox? The theory is that juicing offers an easily digestible injection of vitamins and minerals to nourish your body while giving it a break from the demands of digestion and aiding the elimination of toxins.

But while packed with vitamins, juice is also loaded with sugar and bad for your teeth. So is more always better?

Dr Schenker says: Detox Juice Recipes improve Weight Loss

‘Juice is usually packed with vitamins and minerals but the lack of protein, fat, fibre and complex carbohydrate is detrimental to the normal functioning of the body.

This can leave you feeling tired, dizzy and nauseous. These symptoms are not a result of toxin expulsion, as is commonly reported. Some essential nutrients require help from other nutrients to be fully beneficial; for example, vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins and, without fat, their absorption will be limited.

Sugar in liquid form, when not attached to fibre such as fruit skin, is absorbed readily by the body, causing a blood-sugar spike which can leave you moody and hungry. A few days’ juice diet will give rapid weight loss due to low calorie intake. But much of the initial weight loss is water weight. When no fuel from food is available, your body turns to muscle glycogen and, as levels deplete, the water

in which it’s stored is lost. There is also a reduction in muscle mass.

‘Arguably, one benefit to a short-term juice detox is that it can help people break a cycle of unhealthy eating. There’s evidence that when returning to a normal calorie intake, you may be more mindful about food choices and feel fuller with less food.’

A SHORT JUICE DETOX MAY HELP YOU BREAK A CYCLE OF UNHEALTHY EATING.

‘The liver and kidneys are the body’s organs responsible for excreting toxins. As long as they stay healthy, they’ll work normally every day without the need for “detox” juice. The lack of nutritional balance is one of the main reasons a juice fast is not considered a healthy choice – and the longer the juice fast, the worse the situation becomes. While there is no real harm in having a couple of juice days as a kickstart for a new period of healthy eating, be aware that you might not feel great, so pick a quiet weekend on which to do it!’

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