{"id":24853,"date":"2025-05-29T15:08:59","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T15:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=24853"},"modified":"2025-05-29T15:09:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T15:09:01","slug":"to-reduce-calories-add-chilies-to-your-meals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/to-reduce-calories-add-chilies-to-your-meals\/","title":{"rendered":"To Reduce Calories, Add Chilies to Your Meals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A Penn State study finds that adding chilies to meals can slow down eating and reduce calorie intake, offering a tasty strategy for portion control.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putting some extra heat on your plate might help you trim down your food intake, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an innovative experiment, scientists at Penn State&#8217;s Sensory Evaluation Center explored how increasing the &#8220;oral burn&#8221; from ingredients like chili pepper affects the amount of food consumed during a meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We know from previous studies that when people slow down, they eat significantly less,&#8221; lead author Paige Cunningham, a postdoctoral researcher who earned her doctorate in nutritional sciences from Penn State in 2023, said in a news release. &#8220;We suspected that making a meal spicier might slow people down. We thought, let&#8217;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study found that adding a bit of spice can slow down eating and decrease overall caloric intake \u2014 all without making the meal less enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis points to added chilies as a potential strategy for reducing the risk of energy overconsumption,\u201d added corresponding author John Hayes, a professor of food science at Penn State. \u201cWhile portion control wasn\u2019t the explicit goal of this study, our results suggest this might work. Next time you&#8217;re looking to eat a little less, try adding a blast of chilies, as it may slow you down and help you eat less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research team conducted three related experiments involving 130 adults who were served two different lunch dishes: beef chili or chicken tikka masala, each in mild or spicy versions. To ensure consistency, the spiciness was carefully adjusted using variations of hot and sweet paprika.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Participants were recorded on high-definition video while they ate, allowing the researchers to monitor and measure various eating behaviors, such as meal duration, speed, bite rate, and food and water intake. Additionally, participants provided ratings on appetite, taste and spiciness before and after the meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Formulating the recipes took a long time for the chicken tikka,&#8221; Cunningham added. &#8220;It took so many rounds of testing that my lab mates were sick of it. But science is about trial and error. I&#8217;d make a recipe, see how far I could push the spiciness, and we&#8217;d taste it. We did that until we reached a level where palatability was matched even when spiciness increased.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The findings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0950329325001417\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">set to be published<\/a> in the October issue of the journal Food Quality and Preference, revealed that those who ate the spicier dishes consumed less food and energy, supporting the hypothesis that spiciness can be an effective tool for portion control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers observed that the spicy meals led to slower eating speeds, allowing the food to stay in the mouth longer, which can promote a sense of fullness and reduce overall intake. Despite the added heat, participants reported no negative impact on the food&#8217;s palatability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hayes added that there were no significant differences in the amount of water participants had with spicy and mild meals, so their water intake could not have been the primary reason why people ate less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is why we need to do empirical studies of behavior, because what you might intuitively expect is often not the case,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With these promising results, the team is now looking to explore how the sensation of &#8220;oral burn&#8221; can influence other eating behaviors, such as snacking, providing further insight into how spice can be incorporated into dietary strategies for better health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psu.edu\/news\/research\/story\/looking-cut-calories-try-adding-chilies-study-suggests\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">The Pennsylvania State University<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Putting some extra heat on your plate might help you trim down your food intake, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. In an innovative experiment, scientists at Penn State&#8217;s Sensory Evaluation Center explored how increasing the &#8220;oral burn&#8221; from ingredients like chili pepper affects the amount of food consumed during [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[140],"class_list":["post-24853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-food-nutrition","tag-penn-state-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Putting some extra heat on your plate might help you trim down your food intake, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. In an innovative experiment, scientists at Penn State&#8217;s Sensory Evaluation Center explored how increasing the &#8220;oral burn&#8221; from ingredients like chili pepper affects the amount of food consumed during&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24853"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25040,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24853\/revisions\/25040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}