Is it true that spicy food makes us eat more?

Are you a spicy food lover? Those of you who like to eat spicy food will usually be very appetite if there is something that makes it spicy in your food, such as chilies, peppers, and other spices. And, your appetite may decrease or you eat less than usual if nothing makes your food spicy. However, is it true that eating spicy food can make you eat more?

Why is there an assumption that eating spicy makes us eat more?

Apparently, no studies have proven this. For those of you who like to eat spicy food, you may always want to eat it again and again, so you will eat more. This may happen because these spicy foods make your appetite increase.

Indeed, if it is a food that you like, this is normal. Your appetite will increase if you are exposed to foods you like. Likewise, a person whose favorite food is meat, he will eat more if he eats meat as a side dish.

In addition, spicy food can also make you feel satisfied after eating. This makes you happy when you eat spicy food and you want to always eat spicy food.

Spicy food can actually suppress your appetite

Research actually proves that spicy food can reduce your appetite. Not surprisingly, there is a theory that says that spicy food can help you lose weight. Based on research published by Chemical Senses in 2012, red chilies can help reduce cravings for fatty, sweet, and salty foods.

Spicy foods can also help you feel full. A study published in the journal Appetite in 2014 showed that spicy foods can increase satiety, reducing your chances of overeating.

Spicy food burns more calories

Apart from that, other studies have also shown that spicy food can increase the burning of calories in your body. Research published in the journal Chemical Senses shows that spicy foods rich in spices can raise your body temperature. This in turn increases the amount of energy you use. However, it seems that this increased calorie burn doesn't work in everyone and may not last long because the body can tolerate heat.

The capsaicin content in chilies and peppers may be responsible for all of these things. The capsaicin in chilies and peppers can increase metabolism and can generate heat in the body after you eat these foods. Thus, more calories and fat are burned when the body digests spicy food than when you eat non-spicy food.

The increase in metabolism when you eat spicy food can also suppress your desire to eat. This makes spicy food can help you lose weight. The more capsaicin in chilies, the spicier the taste will be. The parts of chilies that contain the most capsaicin compounds are the seeds and bones.