Researchers at Canada s Laval University suggest that a key chemical contained in chillies could boost the body s ability to burn fat and curb one’s appetite all in all helping to get rid of visceral fat.
Capsaicin is the chemical that gives chillies and chilli-based spices such as cayenne and paprika their characteristic pungency and also stimulates a natural process whereby some of the food we eat at each meal is converted immediately to heat.
Known as diet-induced thermogenesis, this process helps to burn belly fat because it means a person burns up calories automatically rather than storing them.
Scientists have found that diet-induced thermogenesis usually uses up carbohydrates, with various studies showing that we produce more heat after a high-carbohydrate meal.