A new study from Penn State’s Sensory Evaluation Center found that adding a small amount of spice to meals can help people eat less and consume fewer calories. Researchers tested this by serving 130 adults either mild or spicy versions of beef chili or chicken tikka masala, carefully controlling spiciness levels using different ratios of hot versus sweet paprika. Video analysis revealed that participants ate the spicier meals slower, which led to reduced food consumption without affecting how much they enjoyed the food. The slower eating pace appears to give the body more time to signal fullness, resulting in natural portion control. Importantly, participants still felt equally satisfied after eating less of the spicy meals, and they didn’t compensate by drinking significantly more water.
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