Capsaicin, In Red Pepper Inhibits the Growth of Fat Cells

Obesity may be reduced by preventing immature fat cells (adipocytes) from developing into mature cells, and other studies have shown that capsaicin can decrease the amount of fat tissue and decrease fat levels in the blood.

"The results of this study clearly showed that capsaicin could inhibit the population growth and the induction of apoptosis [programmed cell death] in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes [cells that can be stimulated to form fat cells]," wrote Gow-Chin Yen and Chin-Lin Hsu in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Over 300m adults are obese worldwide, according to latest statistics from the WHO and the International Obesity Task Force. About one-quarter of the US adult population is said to be obese, with rates in Western Europe on the rise although not yet at similar levels.

Yen and Hsu used pre-adipocyte cells called 3T3-L1from mice and exposed them to doses between 0 and 250 micromoles solutions of capsaicin and incubated them for 24, 48 and 72 hours, and found that capsaicin inhibited cell population growth in a dose and time dependent manner.  The effects of this inhibition would be at levels just slightly greater than those found in the stomach fluid of an individual eating a typical Indian or Thai diet, the researchers said.

"The intake of capsaicin in a typical Indian or Thai diet was about 128 micrograms per kilogram human body weight. The concentrations of capsaicin in the gastric fluid would be equivalent to 8-25 micromoles for an adult human with a body weight of 60 kg," wrote Yen and Hsu.

A mechanistic study revealed that capsaicin adversely affected protein expression by the apidocytes, most notably PPARγ, which is reported to regulate several genes involved in the formation of fat cells, as well as making body fat.

"Capsaicin… inhibited lipid accumulation and the protein expression of PPARγ… These results demonstrate that capsaicin efficiently suppresses adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes and adipocytes," concluded the researchers.

Capsaicin has been used in folk medicine as a remedy for rheumatism. The humble red chilli pepper has also been in the news recently with research linking the spice to inhibiting the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, as well as a growing body of studies suggesting it may cut fat and energy intake when added to the diet. Some caution should also be exercised as high intake of hot chillies has been linked with increased risk of stomach cancers in the populations of India and Mexico.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: Volume 55, Pages 1730-1736: "Effects of Capsaicin on Induction of Apoptosis and Inhibition of Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Cells"  Authors: C.-L. Hsu and G.-C. Yen

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DID YOU KNOW:
Consuming 3 cups of coffee reduces cognitive decline in elderly men: To investigate whether coffee consumption is associated with 10-year cognitive decline in elderly men, Dutch, Italian and Finnish researchers carried out a 10 year prospective cohort study involving 676 healthy men born between 1900 and 1920 from Finland, Italy and the Netherlands. Coffee consumption was estimated in cups per day. A mixed longitudinal model was used to investigate the association between baseline coffee consumption and 10-year cognitive decline.  They found: “Men who consumed coffee had a 10-year cognitive decline of 1.2 points (4%). Non-consumers had an additional decline of 1.4 points. An inverse and J-shaped association was observed between the number of cups of coffee consumed and cognitive decline, with the least cognitive decline for three cups of coffee per day (0.6 points). This decline was 4.3 times smaller than the decline of non-consumers (P<0.001).”  The researchers concluded: “Findings suggest that consuming coffee reduces cognitive decline in elderly men. An inverse and J-shaped association may exist between the number of cups of coffee consumed and cognitive decline, with the least cognitive decline for men consuming three cups of coffee per day.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition February 2007. 61, 226–232. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602495

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