The cakes and chocolate bars that may help you burn off calories could be available soon. But their manufacturers claim to have revealed an ingredient extracted from chilli pepper could be added to any pudding or treat to help you put off those extra pounds.
The wonder extract known as dihydrocapsiate (DHC), is one of numerous chemical compounds known as capsinoids found in a particular variety of chilli, called CH-19 sweet. The ingredient, which is tasteless, speeds up the metabolism process of the body helping it use up more calories.
It is already sold in the form of diet supplement pills in US and Japan, but it could be about to be used as a food additive in Britain. Now a Japanese firm wants to use the DHC extract as a food additive. The manufacturer, Ajinomoto plans to manufacture the extract artificially as chilli peppers only produce small amounts.
The company has submitted the proposal to Food Standards Agency regulator with the aim of adding it to chocolate bars, desserts and ready meals aimed towards slimmers. The FSA has affirmed the extract to be safe recently. But, according to dieticians the effects of eating the foods would be minimal.
They claim that a person weighing fifteen stone eating the suggested portions of foods containing DHC would possibly burn off only fifty extra calories a day, which is equivalent of a digestive biscuit. Now it is up to the European Commission to decide whether it can be sold.
The spokeswoman of Ajinomoto, Naoko Obera stated that DHC was not a magic projectile in the fight against the bulge, but it would be matchless weight management aid among slimming aids. Most of weight management aids focus on calorie intake. Capsinoids are exclusive in aiming the other side of the equation, the caloric output.
She added that by increasing the metabolism of the body to burn more calories can be significant as diet and workout. However, it should be used as one portion of the overall weight management equation.