14

Aug

Weight Loss Myth: Spicy Foods

Is it true that spicy foods will help you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism?

The internet is full of weight loss advice, only about an eighth of which is valuable. There are a lot of people who say that eating spicy foods is good for your weight loss efforts because of the way that spicy foods increase your metabolic rate. With this thought in mind, many people have started downing the spiciest foods they could find, only to realize that any benefits of this strategy may be quickly out shined by the consequences of eating an abundance of spicy foods.

Studies have found that eating spicy foods provides a temporary minor increase to the metabolic rate. However, before you go running for the chili, you should know that this increase is brief, and it is barely noticeable. Spicy foods are not metabolized at any significantly faster rate than the rest of the food that you eat.

Unfortunately, many people experience negative health effects that far outweigh any metabolic benefit from eating spicy foods. Spicy foods are difficult on the stomach. The oils from the spices can irritate the lining of the stomach, leading to severe indigestion.

This could result in uncomfortable side effects, such as:

If you are going to eat spicy foods, you need to be careful and take into account how your body will handle the excess pressure on your stomach lining. Following weight loss surgery, your stomach will be more sensitive than it was previously and you may experience heightened discomfort after having spicy foods.

Even if you loved spicy foods before having weight loss surgery, you may need to back off of some of those favorites for a while as your stomach fully recovers post-weight loss surgery. Try enjoying some of those spicy flavors in a mode moderate way by opting for grilled meats that are rubbed in dried spices like paprika or cayenne, or using a small amount of tobacco sauce to moisten your meal.

Rather than switching your diet over to one that is heavy in spicy foods as a way to improve your weight loss outcomes, talk to your weight loss doctor about the best dietary strategies available for you. Making changes to your diet based on something you read online is not a good idea. Only trust information that is coming from reliable sources, like your weight loss surgeon.  If you are looking for help losing weight, the best thing that you can do is to reach out to your weight loss doctor. Your weight loss doctor can help you find a strategy that is right for you and your lifestyle.

Weight Loss Myth: Spicy Foods