Does Eating Spicy Foods Burn Calories?
The rumor mill boasts that eating spicy food burns more calories than eating regular food, but is this true? The verdict is still out, but most of the facts point in the direction that the answer is yes. The reason being, is that the body temperature is slightly elevated during the process of consuming a spicy food or meal. When this happens, the body must work hard to regulate the core body temperature. This process takes energy, which means that more calories will be burned. By no means is eating spicy food supposed to answer our nation’s problem with obesity, but implementing a few more spicy foods on the table won’t hurt.
During the process of eating very spicy foods, like hot peppers, a person may experience a variety of elevated processes. An individual may experience the onset of perspiration, increased heart rate and a flushed face. They may become very hot and feel like they need air. The body system is working hard to regulate itself during this process and keep the body calm and comfortable. Stress hormones, in some cases, may be released in an effort to calm the body systems down. This process does require energy and as a result more calories are burned throughout the duration of time peppers are consumed and digested.