Weight Loss: Want To Speed It Up? Try Some Green Chillies- Know The Health Benefits They Offer

Weight loss: Do you like having bites of green chilli with your food? Well, if you are spicy food lover, you will definitely will like having some crispy hot chilly along with your food. Hari mirch, as it is called in Hindi, can be used as an ingredient in tadkas - that are the essence of nearly every Indian dish. Some households use hari mirch as a replacement to red chilli powder as well. But did you know that green chilli can also aid weight loss? Well, yes! Spicy foods like chilli can boost your metabolism and help in burning extra fat.

Green chilli for weight loss: Know how they work

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Green chilli or hari mirch is packed with Vitamin C, beneficial antioxidants and dietary fibres. They also contain iron, potassium and Vitamin A.

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Speaking of weight loss, spicy foods have properties that can speed up your metabolism for around 3 hours after their consumption. Studies mention that eating spicy foods can increase feelings of fullness and reduce appetite. They also ensure that you don't overeat.

Green chilli can help curb appetite and aid weight loss
Photo Credit: iStock

In fact, eating spicy foods like green chilli or chilli peppers like jalapenos can burn more calories throughout the day while also suppressing the urge to eat. Chilli peppers like green chilli contain significant amount of capsaicin-which is mostly in white membrane which holds the seeds in place.

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An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study says that capsaicin can be effective in reducing belly fat.

So for all those having a difficult time losing weight, include more green chillies in your diet. You can either munch extra green chilli along with your food (if you can handle that much spice that is). Hari mirch can also be used as a replacement to red chilli powder for your tadkas. You can make simple spicy white rice by adding green chille, jeera, mustard seeds and salt for its tadka. Have these rice with curd for the classic curd rice.

Other health benefits of green chilli

Not just weight loss, but including green chilli in your diet can offer health benefits as well.

• Capsaicin in green chillies has a stimulating effect on mucus membranes of nose and sinus. It can help in controlling cold and sinus infections. The chemical compound can also stimulate blood flow through the membranes, making mucus secretion thinner.
• Eating green chillies produces heat, which can act as a pain reliever.
• Beta-carotene and Vitamin C in green chillies can give a boost to your immunity.

Capsaicin in green chilli can combat cold and sinus infection
Photo Credit: iStock

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However, all these benefits depend on if spicy foods suit your or not. While they may boost digestion in some, others may experience stomach ailments because of eating too much spicy foods. Thus, moderation is the key when including green chillies in your diet. If even small amounts of it don't suit you, get a health check-up done.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.