While it may be no surprise to some that chillies are an excellent food to eat when dieting, it has recently been discovered that the chemical capsaicin, which is what makes the chilli hot, actually targets and burns the fat around your stomach.

This new discovery, which came from Stephen Whiting of Manchester Metropolitan University, increases the value of chillies as a dieting super-food. It was already known that chillies increase metabolism and reduce appetite. However, it is now known that chillies can actively burn fat, particularly around your belly, without even doing any exercise. Great news for us couch potatoes.

A Dieting Cheat

Dieters may be thinking that it doesn’t get much better than this, however there is one more string to the chilli’s bow which really makes it the ultimate dieting cheat card. By burning the fat around your belly, the capsaicin gets rid of the most unhealthy fat. Eating chillies is not only an excellent way to lose weight, but it’s a healthy way to lose weight.

However, if you wish to pursue this road for losing weight, there is one question you must ask yourself: can you handle the heat? Because for this to work towards weight loss, Mr. Whiting has suggested that you must eat chillies ‘consistently for a good period of time.’

So, if you are trying to lose a few pounds and you’re a lover of the spicy stuff, the hottest curries could be the way to go.

For the rest of us, next time you head out for a beer and a curry, choosing the ‘hottest thing on the menu,’ may not be such a bad idea.