Is chilli the secret weight loss ingredient?

Chilli may hold a chemical compound which lets your brain know when the stomach is full. Photo: Getty

Good news, spice lovers.

Just last week we reported that a bit of spice can boost longevity and now new research has found that chilli may hold the key ingredient for weight loss.

Researchers from Adelaide University have found that a chemical receptor in hot chillies can activate nerves in the stomach that let the brain know the body is full.

The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE also revealed that high-fat diets tend to impair these receptors, leading to overeating.

According to study author Dr Stephen Kentish, previous research has revealed capsaicin, not hot chillies, reduced food intake.

“If we get rid of this channel, and make these nerves unable to respond to capsaicin, the mice in the study, actually consumed more food, which suggests that this is the mechanism that is potentially vital in controlling how much food we eat,” he told the ABC.

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“The aim is to see how feasible this is as a potential treatment not just for obesity itself but maybe also in the prevention of gaining weight.”

Chilli already has a range of health benefits, and is thought to boost metabolism for faster weight loss.

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Eating spicy food may boost longevity