A chemical found in hot chilli peppers may unlock a new treatment for obesity.
University of Adelaide researchers are carrying out laboratory studies investigating the association between hot chilli pepper receptors in the stomach and the feeling of fullness.
They also found that a high-fat diet may impair receptors that signal fullness, leading to overeating.
"The stomach stretches when it is full, which activates nerves in the stomach to tell the body that it has had enough food," says Associate professor Amanda Page, lead author of a paper published in PLOS ONE journal.
Previous studies showed that capsaicin, found in hot chillies, reduced food intake.
The researchers say their work shows the consumption of capsaicin may be able to prevent overeating through an action on nerves in the stomach.
Their future research will include trying to determine why a high-fat diet desensitises the receptors and investigating if the damage can be reversed.
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