Imagine a food that not only helped prevent the build up of weight, but actively worked to burn fat.
A Japanese food manufacturer has announced it has found an extract from chili peppers that, when consumed, speeds up the body’s metabolism and helps burn calories.
Tokyo-based Ajinomoto, which already produces a range of foods, food seasonings and cooking oils, has claimed that the extract – dihydrocapsiate (DHC) – is unique among weight management aids and that the tasteless and odorless extract can be used as a additive in everyday foods, including; desserts, confectionery and breakfast cereals.
As a dietary supplement, DHC is already sold in Japan and the US and might soon be given the green-light for sale in Europe, following recent approval from Britain’s food watchdog. However, Ajinomoto have plans to synthetically produce the chili extract and be the first company to distribute DHC in food products.
According to Ajinomoto spokeswoman Naoko Obara, as reported in the Scotsman, while "most weight management aids focus on caloric intake, capsinoids [such as the chemical compound DHC] are unique in targeting the other side of the equation, the caloric output.
"Increasing the body’s metabolism to burn more calories can be as important as diet and exercise. But it should be used as one piece of the overall weight management equation."
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