Benefits of Capsaicin for weight loss and reducing joint pain

Alfredo Valdés 5 min. of reading Weight Loss Leave a comment

Capsaicin is a natural alkaloid found in chillies, hot peppers and jalapeños with important properties for the body:

Fights the accumulation of body fat
Reduces pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis and nerve pain.

In this post, we tell you more about the benefits and how capsaicin works, with case studies.

Reduces appetite
Increases metabolism and reduces body fat
Treats nerve pain
Prevents joint discomfort

Index

1 Reduces appetite
2 Increases metabolism and reduces body fat
3 Treats nerve pain
4 Prevents joint discomfort
5 Supplements with capsaicin
6 Recommended dose
7 Bibliographic sources
8 Related posts on this topic:

Reduces appetite

By increasing your capsaicin intake, you can reduce your appetite, according to a 2009 study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. In an experiment with 27 healthy volunteers, researchers found that the consumption of a combination of capsaicin and green tea led the subjects to feel less hungry and consume fewer calories.

Another 2009 study published in the European Journal of Nutrition showed that capsaicin may help reduce ghrelin (a hormone involved in the feeling of hunger).

Increases metabolism and reduces body fat

A large number of laboratory studies show that capsaicin can help accelerate thermogenesis (a biological process involved in calorie burning) and may produce a temporary increase in metabolism of around 23%.

Studies have found that capsaicin supplements are able to increase and maintain fat oxidation (fat burning) in people. However, what is more interesting is that, if consumed with a meal, capsaicin is able to increase carbohydrate oxidation, while in turn slowing down lipid oxidation for a short period of time (up to two hours).

It can also help fight the accumulation of body fat. In tests with rats fed a high-fat diet, the authors of a 2010 study published in the Journal of Proteome Research found that capsaicin stimulates certain proteins known to break down fat and inhibit the action of proteins involved in fat production.

Treats nerve pain

Capsaicin, through its mechanism of action as a TPRV1 receptor agonist, produces a reversible reduction in intra-epidermal nerves that trigger alterations in nociceptive function, which means that a product with this compound at the appropriate concentrations (8% as the maximum dosage) is a potential tool for the acute treatment of nerve pain induced by structural damage caused by training.

Mason et al. (2004) analysed six studies on musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain, concluding that capsaicin at 0.075% and 0.025% shows modest benefits compared to placebo. Topical capsaicin has poor-to-moderate efficacy and may be useful as complementary or stand-alone therapy in some patients who do not respond to other treatments.

Prevents joint discomfort

It is not uncommon to find users in weight rooms who experience joint discomfort, alterations in the passive structures of their body and muscular inflammation of various kinds. This low-level joint discomfort makes it difficult to perform movements.

This is due to the fact that training with external loads, especially when performed at high intensity, produces an organic impact on muscular, bone, joint, tendon and ligament structures, among others, which may produce a series of alterations in their structure and functionality that eventually trigger an acute and/or chronic injury.

The smartest and most advisable thing to do is to consult a specialised professional. They can carry out an in vivo assessment, diagnose and treat, as well as monitor each person’s individual case in order to ensure a safe and efficient recovery.

Laslett and Jones (2014) reviewed five studies with interventions lasting from 4 to 12 weeks and capsaicin concentrations between 0.025% and 0.075%, finding an average pain reduction of 44% after four weeks of treatment, although with heterogeneous results. They concluded that capsaicin is moderately effective in reducing pain in the area of application.

Supplements with capsaicin

The tricky thing about finding supplements that contain capsaicin is that “capsaicin” often does not appear as an ingredient. However, the name cayenne pepper, red pepper, etc. may appear.

Do not confuse it with black pepper extract, which contains a substance called piperine; although it is actually a related compound, it is not the same as capsaicin.

Capsaicin is a very common ingredient in fat burners. It is highly recommended to choose a supplement containing capsaicin and ginger extract. This will further boost fat loss.

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