Can peppers really help you lose weight?

In recent years, we often hear about eating chili peppers to lose weight; stores also often sell some weight loss skin care products, claiming that they contain capsaicin and can reduce weight wherever you apply it. Can chili peppers really help you lose weight?

Expert Comments:

The basis that chili peppers can help lose weight is that capsaicin can increase the metabolic rate. When metabolism is accelerated, you will not gain weight due to excessive accumulation of nutrients.

Although the basis of this statement is correct, the conclusion is not scientific.

Capsaicin does have the effect of promoting circulation. If you apply skin care products containing capsaicin to local skin, such as the thigh, it can dilate the micro-capillaries in that area, accelerate local skin metabolism, make the skin red, hot, and sweat, and have a weight loss effect.

However, this effect cannot be repeated because when capsaicin contacts the skin, it can quickly stimulate and consume local neurotransmitters, making them unable to work properly. Even if stimulated again, the skin can no longer sweat or heat up, and the weight loss effect cannot be achieved. The weight loss effect originally achieved by sweating will be restored as water is replenished.

As for some people finding that eating a lot of chili peppers can help them lose weight, this is largely because chili peppers damage the gastrointestinal mucosa and affect the absorption of food.

Bubble tea for weight loss

Drinking a cup of tea in your spare time can refresh your mind, clear away heat and relieve summer heat, which is indeed a great thing in life. If you are skilled in combining it with different herbs, it can also help you lose weight! However, if you want to lose weight by drinking tea, you have to take medicine for the "fat".

According to the causes and constitution of obesity, Chinese medicine divides obesity into four types, namely, stomach heat and dampness obstruction type, spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction type, liver depression and qi stagnation type, and liver and kidney yin deficiency type. Different herbs are selected according to different obesity types.

Stomach heat and dampness obstruction type - wolfberry chrysanthemum tea

Symptoms: Usually greasy, easily getting angry, bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, yellowish urine, and frequent constipation.

Method: 10g wolfberry, 3g chrysanthemum, 20g cassia seed. Brew with boiling water, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, drink frequently instead of tea.

Comments: This tea has the effects of burning fat, promoting diuresis and clearing away heat.

Spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction type - lotus leaf and orange peel tea

Symptoms: aversion to greasy food, loss of appetite, fatigue in the limbs, and poor metabolism.

Method: 60g dried lotus leaf, 15g each of orange peel, peanut leaf, raw hawthorn, raw coix seed, 30g tea (black tea or green tea). Grind into fine powder, brew with boiling water and drink as tea.

Comments: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Qi deficiency will lead to poor spleen function. Only by replenishing Qi can the body's functions be restored and people will naturally lose weight. Drinking this tea regularly will have better effects.

Liver depression and qi stagnation type - Sanhua orange peel tea

Symptoms: Irritability, easy to get acne.

Method: 60g each of rose, jasmine, daisy flower, lotus leaf, and 10g of orange peel. Grind into fine powder, brew with boiling water and drink as tea.

Comments: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that if the Qi is not smooth, the liver will not function smoothly, which will cause chest tightness, abdominal distension, emotional instability, incomplete digestion and metabolism, etc. In addition, these people like to eat to relieve their emotions, which makes them very likely to gain weight. Therefore, regulating Qi is a good way to lose weight, so you might as well try this tea.

Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency Type - Polygonum Multiflorum Winter Melon Peel Tea

Symptoms: occasional dizziness and poor sleep quality.

Method: Take 30g of Polygonum multiflorum, 10g of Sophora japonica, 18g of Winter melon peel, 15g of Hawthorn, and 6g of Oolong tea. Grind the first four ingredients into fine powder, put them in a thermos, brew with appropriate amount of boiling water, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, add oolong tea and shake the thermos gently, continue to simmer for 5-6 minutes, drink frequently, and finish within 1 day.

Comments: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that insufficient Yin blood can lead to decreased metabolism and poor circulation, which eventually manifests as obesity. Therefore, the key to weight loss is to nourish Yin, and drinking this tea regularly has a good effect.