The Nutrition Examination Research Digest (NERD) aims to provide rigorous, unbiased analysis of the latest and most important nutrition and supplementation studies. Click here to subscribe or login if already a subscriber .
Study under review: Capsaicin-induced satiety is associated with gastrointestinal distress but not with the release of satiety hormones
Introduction
Do you love the burn of spicy food, or prefer to take it mild? The heat of peppers, hot sauces, and many other pepper-based spicy foods comes from a chemical called capsaicin. In addition to gastronomical pleasures, there is research that suggests consumption of capsaicin can promote[1] weight loss. The mechanism by which this occurs is not well defined. Some researchers have suggested that capsaicin has a direct effect on how the body expends energy, either through the activation[2] of brown adipose tissue (generating heat as a byproduct) or through increases[3] in fat oxidation. Other researchers hypothesize that there is an effect on various biological responses like catecholamines[4] (including epinephrine and norepinephrine, which can suppress appetite) or insulin[5]. A third hypothesis is that foods containing capsaicin work to decrease[6] appetite, and thus overall caloric intake.
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Other Articles in Issue #16 (February 2016)
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Dieting, with a side of extra protein
For many lifters, it’s been a mantra that you just can’t gain muscle while being in a heavy calorie deficit. That statement was put to the test in this trial of a high protein diet.
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Promoting ‘high quality’ weight loss: protein and weights
By Stuart Phillips, PhD
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Vitamin E bioavailability isn’t always the same
The vast majority of people don’t meet the recommended intake level for vitamin E. And it turns out that certain people may not absorb vitamin E as well as others, and they might actually be the ones who need it most.
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Little bugs for big depression
Your gut and your brain communicate much more often than you’d think. In fact, all the time. Hence the potential for consuming gut inhabitants (aka probiotics) and impacting brain-related maladies
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Fish oil incorporation: where do other fats fit in?
When you buy and take a fish oil supplement, the story doesn’t end there. It still needs to be incorporated into cell membranes. This study looked at how other fats may impact that process
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The Tyranny of the Outlier: Focusing on the best of the best sometimes diminishes the rest of us
By Lou Schuler
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Have a nice trip, see you next fall
Some preliminary evidence has pointed to a potentially greater risk of falls for elderly people taking vitamin D. That’s put to the test in this year-long randomized trial.
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A vitamin D-efense against multiple sclerosis
MS involves a complex interplay between the nervous and immune systems (and potentially others as well). This is the first trial looking at the safety and immune impact of vitamin D supplementation for MS patients.
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The newest index on the block… the hydration index!
Hydration has become more of a marketing term than a scientifically accurate one. These researchers created an index to specifically measure the hydration impact of different beverages, from milk to coffee to beer
