If you enjoy the flavor of foods spiced with hot peppers, your body's metabolism may also be experiencing a boost with each hot meal you consume. When you eat foods spiced with hot peppers, you have probably felt not only a burning sensation in your mouth, but experienced short periods of profuse sweating and even panting -- and these sensations are key indicators of the relationship between hot peppers and metabolism.
Capsaicin
Many hot peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin, which is responsible for their spicy, sometimes burning effects on your palate. These peppers include cayenne, jalapenos, chilis and habaneros, according to Union County College's Department of Biology. Capsaicin is the substance in hot peppers that is responsible for boosting your body's metabolism. Hot peppers with a high capsaicin content have the potential to increase your metabolic rate by as much as 20 percent, reports Penn State University.
Thermogenesis and Metabolism
The capsaicin contained in hot peppers makes you sweat since it raises your body temperature. This, in turn, enhances thermogenesis, an integral aspect of overall metabolism. Thermogenesis is the process by which your body's cells convert stored energy from the foods you eat into heat, according to MedIndia.net. Hence, when you eat a spicy meal, your metabolism increases -- and other metabolic processes, such as digestion, are enhanced as well.
How Capsaicin Works
During the process of thermogenesis, capsaicin affects the activity of SERCA, a protein that normally regulates a portion of muscle contraction through pumping calcium back into the muscle after a cycle of contraction and relaxation. When this occurs, muscles relax and are ready to begin a new cycle. When you eat hot peppers, capsaicin causes SERCA to skip this calcium-pumping stem and convert ATP -- another crucial chemical responsible for muscular energy -- into heat, raising your body temperature.
Time Frame
Although capsaicin-heavy spices do increase your body's metabolic rate, they do so only temporarily. The increase in your body's metabolism induced by capsaicin when you eat hot peppers or spicy foods lasts for up to 30 minutes after you consume them, reports Penn State. Still, spicing up your meals is a healthy contributor to an overall increased metabolism.
Member Comments