Plant atlas Short
Chili's Fat-Burning Effect Was Tiny
Bird's Eye Chili · พริกขี้หนู · Capsicum frutescens
Bird's Eye Chili — พริกขี้หนู (prik-khee-noo) — Capsicum frutescens.
Bird's eye chili raises your heat output a little. Its active compound, capsaicin, triggers heat-sensing receptors and nudges your metabolism up modestly. In one small trial the measured fat-burning effect was tiny. It is a vitamin C-rich chili, and that vitamin C helps your body build collagen for skin, supports normal immune function, and works as an antioxidant that protects your cells. Pad Kra Pao pounds bird's eye chilies with garlic, then stir-fries them with minced meat and holy basil, served over jasmine rice with a crispy fried egg. Som Tum bruises shredded papaya in a mortar with bird's eye chilies, peanuts, and dried shrimp, usually eaten with sticky rice and grilled chicken. You can also eat the plant's young leaves as a cooked green in some Thai dishes. Want to grow your own? When the plant is young, pinch the growing tips to push out side branches and a bushier chili. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Pad Kra Pao — ผัดกะเพรา (pad-kra-pao)
Som Tum Thai — ส้มตำไทย (som-tum-thai)
Source: Janssens PLHR et al. (2013). Acute effects of capsaicin on energy expenditure and fat oxidation. PLoS One. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0067786 (PMID 23844093)
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C
Research context
Capsaicin modestly raised fat-burning and metabolic rate via TRPV1 in a trial — PLoS One, 2013