SPICES INCREASE SATIETY!

 Spices are an integral part of Asian foods. I grew up eating foods with spices in them and it was something natural for me. But this did not mean that I did not relish the less spicy foods of the Western World. At the start of the lockdown, I was stranded in a hotel. And the restaurants were all closed. So for nearly 2.5-3 months, I was on foods that I could make for myself without the facility of a kitchen. I had to subsist on foods that were innovative but at the same time healthy. I had to stretch my imagination really wide to invent such foods. I only had a water heater to warm water. But I think I fared fairly well in it. My foods had semolina, cut raw carrots, salad, cut fruits, noodles, beaten rice, puffed rice, bread, butter, jam, milkmaid, milk, nuts etc. Of course, I did not have spices with me and did not buy them because I was not really cooking. I ended up having only salt in the food without the spices.

The foods are created were tasty and I believe, were healthy too! Moreover, I used to have enough quantity of it. But somehow, I used to feel not satisfied with the foods. My hunger was not completely eliminated. I wondered why it was so. I started to ponder over this fact and also decided to investigate the matter. I also realized that when I had spices-added foods, I felt satiated. But only with salt, the satiety was less.

Spices and satiety

As I started to google search and look upon this matter, I came to know that spices not only add flavor to foods but they also increase satiety. Besides, a research team from Center of Human Nutrition, University of California, Los Angeles also revealed that peppers can increase the body’s metabolism. Hence it causes an increase in the burning of calories. They carried out a small study of men and women in which one half of the study group were given pills with pepper components in it for one month. The other half of the participants received placebo pills for the same period.

Spices [Source: NDTV Food]

They found that those who had pills with pepper components burned more fat than the placebo group. Similar findings were found by researchers at Purdue University. They demonstrated that consumption of less than a teaspoon of dried cayenne red pepper increased satiety, cut down appetite, and burned more fats. Thus, spices can help with weight loss.

The other benefits of spices in food

The spices have other benefits on health. These include minimizing the risk of tumor. A study in The Journal  of Clinical Investigation revealed that the spicy chemical in peppers called capsaicin activates the cell receptors in the intestinal lining. A reaction ensues that reduces the risk of tumor development. The researchers feel that capsaicin assists to turn off an over-reactive receptor responsible for tumor growth. It was an experiment in mice. Mice that were genetically prone to develop tumors were fed capsaicin. It helped reduce tumors in them and also extended their lives.

Red Chillies [Source: Medical News Today]

Besides, it is known that most spices are effective natural aphrodisiacs. In 2011, a literature review was published in the journal Food Research International. They found that ginseng and saffron boosted sexual performance.

So spices have a lot of hidden benefits. . A food industry report of 2014 found that around 54% of consumers had hot and spicy foods and they found it appealing. An earlier 2009 study revealed that 46% had spicy foods. Besides, young people in the age group of 18-34 years prefer spicy foods more and this is on the increase.

Peppers [Source: Thrillist]