Study Shows Cayenne Pepper & Green Tea Combo Suppresses Hunger

A combination of capsaicin (from cayenne pepper) and green tea may "promote the feeling of fullness and sustain satiety, indicating it could be successful for weight management, according to a new research study from Denmark and the Netherlands.

Apparently, Europeans are almost as fat as Americans (50% compared to our embarrassingly high rate of 62%) and Europeans are equally hungry for weight loss miracles and thus weight management studies.

We sell a cayenne product aimed at cardiovascular health (Garlic & Cayenne) and a green tea product that is among our top sellers for heart health and immune system function (Green Tea Extract). Combining these two botanical products may indeed support hunger and weight management. And, it's probably worth a try for folks who need to bring their weight down.

However, managing glycemic index and bacteria balance in the gut should also be a part of anyone's long-term commitment. You can't manage weight so well without managing hunger and modern diets promote both sugar loading and imbalances of bad bacteria to good bacteria.

More dietary sugar equals glucose spikes (read: hunger from blood sugar swings). Remember, starchy foods like rice and bagels are high in glycemic index and count as sugar.

More sugar also feeds bad bacteria, which crave sugar to support their hostile colonization of the gut (read: more hunger from cravings). It's a vicious cycle of cravings for sugar, proliferation of bad bacteria, which crave more sugar, all leading to weight gain.

Suggestions? Go low glycemic and include more high-fiber foods (fiber is considered a "prebiotic"), which feed to good bacteria (probiotics). And experiment with botanicals like cinnamon (1-3 grams per meal can help normalize blood sugar when taken with meals) along with cayenne and green tea extract (for hunger management and thermogenetic activity).

Let us know what you experience with your comments here!