Why People Who Add This Spice To Their Meals Feel Fuller Longer

When we think of foods that will make us feel fuller longer, we typically think about ones like fruits and veggies that are big on volume, yet low in calories. These make you feel fuller thanks to the volume (duh) which means you get to enjoy more of the experience of eating (biting, chewing, swallowing), and digestion also takes longer. But it turns out that foods that cause satiety come in small packages, too: certain spices can actually help you feel fuller faster, experts say. This is great news for those of us who don’t look forward to gnawing on a celery stick, but do desire to have the foods they enjoy pack even more of a punch for weight loss.

We spoke with board certified physician nutrition specialist Melina Jampolis, MD, about which spices have been shown in studies to make you feel fuller, reduce appetite, burn more calories, and even aid digestion:

“Capsaicin, one of the active ingredients in Chili pepper (cayenne especially), can help reduce appetite,” Dr. Melina, hosts of the podcast “Practically Healthy by Dr. Melina,” starts.

“How it does this is not completely understood, but it is likely due to stimulation of a specific receptor in your digestive track associated with satiety (fullness).”

Capsaicin can also increase the number of calories you burn daily by approximately 5 percent, “a modest effect which can really add up over time,” she explains.

Additionally, ginger is your friend when it comes to reducing hunger. “Research shows that ginger may also reduce hunger, and prebiotics help increase gut hormones (GLP-1, PYY) which can help control appetite,” she advises.

“Fresh ginger can keep in the refrigerator for weeks, otherwise dried ginger is the easiest kind to use, and getting it into your diet couldn’t be easier: it tastes great in smoothies (especially along with fresh or frozen peaches),” she recommends. Or, you can use it to add some zing to your oatmeal, yogurt and baked goods, as a substitute for cinnamon. “You can even make a tasty, soothing tea with dried ginger; just add ¼ teaspoon to a cup of boiling water.” Yum!

Ginger can also modestly increase the thermic effect of food (the calories you burn digesting, absorbing and processing food), she explains.

“There are two studies of fenugreek, too, that have shown it also increases satiety and can lead to decreased caloric intake,” Dr. Melina reveals.

And green tea EGCG has also been shown to reduce hunger, especially when reducing calories, she says.