Capsicum - Is it all heat and no action?

[TeensyTiff]

Some non-prescription diet pills, especially fat burners, have capsicum in their ingredients, which is found in hot peppers. From what I understand, it's actually the part of the pepper (or at least one of the parts) that make it hot. So it's the part that lights your tongue on fire and makes you feel warmer. Some people claim that its effect can help boost energy and metabolism. Is this true?

[Lady Greenfairy]

From what I have heard about it. It can be very upsetting to the digestive system and cause uncomfortable symptoms. It does apparently heat up the body, but whether or not that actually leads to an increase in energy and metabolism is another story altogether. Personally, it holds no appeal to me. I would avoid it.

[ChristySmiles]

I’m not personally a fan of hot peppers or anything really hot for that matter, so I would stay away from it. If it burns your tongue like that, I don’t want to know what it will do to your insides, especially if you made it part of your regular diet by taking it in a pill everyday!

[Whirlybird]

You need to be very careful with this ingredient. People who shouldn't eat hot peppers and whose digestive systems don't react well to them won't do well with pills that contain this ingredient. But if you don't like hot peppers but can digest them just fine, then the capsicum is actually not bad for you within certain limits (check the ingredients list/website for quantities!). This really can speed up your metabolism through thermogenesis...but whether it's enough to actually cause weight loss is another story.

[brightstar]

When you take it in a pill form, it doesn't have spiciness like it does in the peppers

[JennyR]

I love hot peppers! I had no idea they were potentially beneficial for weigh loss.

[KenTraver]

I love hot peppers! I had no idea they were potentially beneficial for weigh loss.

They do, but only for a short time. So pretty much you'd have to eat hot peppers while running on a treadmill to make it work for you haha

[TeensyTiff]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I'm glad to see that it doesn't seem like it's a total bust. I looks like it might be somewhat helpful if its prepared properly.