Comparison of Capsaicin and Capsiate's Effects at a Meal

Introduction Capsaicin, the major pungent component of hot peppers, promotes negative energy balance; however, many individuals avoid capsaicin-containing foods due to pungency. Capsiate, a capsaicin analog found in CH-19 sweet peppers, is a non-pungent alternative that promotes negative energy balance when consumed as an encapsulated supplement. No studies have investigated capsiate's effects on energy balance when consumed orally with a meal. This randomized cross-over trial's purpose was to compare effects of capsaicin and capsiate consumed orally at a meal. Methods Participants were 24 healthy, lean individuals. Following capsaicin (2 mg), capsiate (2 mg), or control (no pepper) meals, appetitive sensations were recorded at 30-min intervals for 4.5 h, and blood pressure was taken every 15 min for 1 h. Energy intake was recorded at an ad libitum challenge meal (4.5 h after test meals) and self-reported for the remainder of the day. Results All meals were neutral to liked (= 3.2 on a 5-point category scale). The flavor of the control was better liked than the capsaicin-containing meal (p= 0.022). Purchase intent for similarly flavored restaurant meals was neutral to likely (= 2.9 on a 5-point category scale), with participants tending to prefer the capsiate or control meals (p= 0.066). Appetite, blood pressure, and energy intake did not vary between meals. Conclusions This suggests that meals with low capsaicin and capsiate doses are acceptable and unlikely to cause unfavorable effects. Lack of metabolic changes could be related to dose, insufficient power to stratify by habitual spicy food intake, or that capsaicin and capsiate are not effective stimuli.