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Spicing meals to curb calories: a concise summary
Penn State scientists discovered that slightly spicier meals make people eat slower and less.
A controlled laboratory study from Penn State’s Sensory Evaluation Center tested whether modest increases in oral burn — the tingling heat experienced from chili peppers and similar ingredients — change how much people eat at a meal. The team found that modestly spicier dishes slowed diners’ eating rate and reduced overall food and energy intake, while leaving palatability and post-meal fullness largely unchanged. These results point to a low-cost behavioral strategy for reducing calorie intake that may be useful for portion control and behavioral nutrition interventions.
Study design and experimental methods
Study participants tasted meals in which the spiciness level was controlled by carefully varying the ratio of hot versus sweet paprika added to the dishes to vary the heat while keeping chili flavor constant. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State
The researchers ran three related experiments with 130 adult participants. Each person was served one of two popular lunch entrees — beef chili or chicken tikka masala — prepared in two versions: mild and spicy. To manipulate heat without altering overall chili flavor, the team adjusted the ratio of hot to sweet paprika in the recipes, using dried chili pepper to create a controlled increase in oral burn (a proxy for capsaicin-related heat sensation).
Eating behavior was recorded in high-definition video so investigators could quantify precise oral processing metrics: grams consumed, meal duration, eating rate (grams per minute), bite size, bite rate, and water consumption. Participants also provided ratings for appetite, liking, and perceived spiciness before and after the meal.
Key findings: slower eating, fewer calories, same liking
A team of researchers at Penn State found that increasing spiciness slightly using dried chili pepper slowed down eating and reduced the amount of food and energy consumed at a meal, all without negatively affecting the palatability of the dish. The study was led by Paige Cunningham, pictured, a postdoctoral researcher who earned her doctorate in nutritional sciences from Penn State in 2023. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State
Across the experiments, the spicier meal versions reduced the eating rate and lowered total grams and kilocalories consumed compared with matched mild meals. Importantly, these reductions occurred without measurable declines in how much participants liked the food. Appetite ratings measured before and after the meal were similar for mild and spicy conditions, which suggests that participants achieved comparable satiety after consuming less energy when the meal was spicier.
The authors note that increased water intake was not a significant factor — people did not drink substantially more with spicy meals — indicating the primary mechanism was altered oral processing. Slower eating keeps food in the mouth longer, which enhances sensory exposure and accelerates physiological and cognitive signals of fullness. This is consistent with prior texture-manipulation studies showing that reduced eating speed decreases intake.
Implications for food science and behavioral nutrition
John Hayes, professor of food science and corresponding author on the paper, framed the results as a potential portion-control strategy: "This points to added chilies as a potential strategy for reducing the risk of energy overconsumption," he said. "Next time you're looking to eat a little less, try adding a blast of chilies, as it may slow you down and help you eat less."
Paige Cunningham, the study’s lead author, emphasized the experimental care required to maintain palatability: "Formulating the recipes took a long time for the chicken tikka. We did that until we reached a level where palatability was matched even when spiciness increased." The team’s approach demonstrates how sensory evaluation and careful recipe design can isolate the effects of oral burn (capsaicin-driven sensation) from flavor preferences.
Practical takeaways for clinicians and consumers include the possibility of using modest heat to promote smaller portions without reducing satisfaction. For food scientists, the study highlights oral burn as a behavioral lever that alters eating microstructure (bite size, rate, and oral processing) and thus energy intake.
Expert Insight
"This study nicely connects sensory stimulation with measurable behavioral change," said Dr. Maria López, a behavioral nutrition scientist (fictional) with expertise in satiety and sensory drivers of intake. "It shows that subtle changes in spice — not extreme heat — can shift how we consume food. That makes this approach more applicable to everyday diets and product reformulation."
Dr. López added that further work should test long-term acceptability, different cuisine types, and effects in populations with diverse cultural preferences for heat.
Conclusion
The Penn State experiments indicate that modest increases in oral burn produced by dried chili pepper can reduce eating rate and total energy intake without making meals less enjoyable. By altering oral processing behavior, mild spice may be a practical tool for portion control and a topic for future research in sensory nutrition, product development, and public health strategies to reduce energy overconsumption.
Source: scitechdaily
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