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4 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Most Capsaicin studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from medium-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 2012–2021 with a typical study size of 191 participants.
Based on 4 studies · 3 meta-analyses · 191 total participants
Confidence
HighBy outcome
1 study in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2021
Capsaicinoid ingestion prior to a meal reduced ad libitum energy intake by 74 kcal during the meal, suggesting potential to support weight management.
Whiting S, Derbyshire EJ, Tiwari B · Appetite (2014)
Compared with placebo, capsaicinoids/capsinoids significantly increased resting metabolic rate, energy expenditure, and fat oxidation, with a moderate overall improvement.
Irandoost P, Lotfi Yagin N, Namazi N, Keshtkar A, Farsi F, Mesri Alamdari N, Vafa M · Phytother Res (2021)
Capsaicin and capsiate both augment energy expenditure and enhance fat oxidation and suppress orexigenic sensations, but the magnitude of these effects is small.
Ludy MJ, Moore GE, Mattes RD · Chem Senses (2012)
Both oral and gastrointestinal exposure to capsaicin increase satiety and reduce energy and fat intake, and capsinoid ingestion increases energy expenditure through activation of brown adipose tissue in humans.
Leung FW · Prog Drug Res (2014)