Chilis for chubbies

If you’re overweight and plan to stay that way, then I hope you like your food hot – real hot.

Researchers have found that the compound that gives chili peppers their kick might also help prevent diabetes in obese people, according to a study published in Obesity.

The South Korean study found that the fiery compound – called capsaicin – lowered blood sugar insulin and leptin levels and reduced inflammation in overweight mice on a high-fat diet. In plain talk, that means the chubby rodents were less likely to get diabetes or diabetes-like conditions when fed high levels of capsaicin.

The researchers are eager to see if they get the same response from obese humans fed the pepper-based supplement. And you can bet that Big Pharma is keeping a close eye on this one – hoping they can turn hot peppers into a hot new product.

Chili lovers will tell you that the Scoville scale, which measures hotness in a pepper, is based entirely on capsaicin content. The more capsaicin, the hotter the pepper. So if this research holds, you’ll need the hottest of chilis to get the best benefit.

In case you can’t tell, I like chili peppers as much as anyone, maybe more. They add a tasty kick to most foods, and they do have plenty of great health benefits like fighting pain and inflammation.

Some of them can clear your sinuses pretty quick, too.

But you don’t need to start entering pepper-eating contests to get a handle on your obesity and lower your risk for diabetes. And you don’t need to wait for some big company to develop a chili pepper supplement.

You just need to get a grip on your eating habits – whether you like the spice or not.

Most of us aren’t doing a very good job of that so far. As a nation, we’re getting fatter and more diabetic every day, and I doubt some extra spice will do much to change it.

The reality is your weight plays a huge role (pardon the pun) in whether or not you get diabetes. The best way to lower your risk is to lose that weight, period. You can do that easily by skipping the sugar and bad carbs and getting around 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise four or five times a week.

It’s really not a lot of work – but it is a commitment.

And it’s a whole lot easier than eating hot peppers with every meal – no matter how much you love your chilis.