Gow-Chin Yen and Chin-Lin Hsu and colleagues cite previous research suggesting that obesity can be reduced by preventing immature fat cells (adipocytes) from developing into mature cells.
Earlier research also linked capsaicin to a decrease in the amount of fat tissue and a reduction in blood-fat levels. With that knowledge, the researchers tested capsaicin's effects on pre-adipocytes and adipocytes growing in laboratory cultures.
They found that capsaicin prevented pre-adipocytes from building up their fat store and so precluded them from maturing into fully functioning fat cells.
The researchers point out that the effects occurred at levels just slightly greater than those found in the stomach fluid of an individual eating a typical Indian or Thai diet.
Capsaicin is thought to have this effect by triggering the biochemical signal for apoptosis, programme cell death, of the fat cells.
Of course, the research doesn't suggest that tucking into a vindaloo curry and ten pints of strong lager every Friday night is going to make you a size Zero, but it does provide food for thought and a possible reason to say yes to the spicy pickle with your popadoms.
Adapted from an ACS press release. The full paper can be read here
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