Capsaicin is the most abundant capsaicinoid, the compounds that make chili peppers hot, and it is sold in supplements for appetite and weight control. Studies show it can cut calorie intake a little, but a 12-week trial found no effect on body weight.
Also known as: capsaicinoids, chili pepper extract.
Studies in the meta-analysis ranged from 0.2 mg in a single meal to 33 mg a day for 4 weeks; a 12-week trial compared 2 mg and 4 mg a day of capsaicinoids (ODS, Whiting 2014, Urbina 2017). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
What studies show: a meta-analysis of 8 trials (191 people) found capsaicinoids reduced calorie intake by about 74 calories per meal; weight was not measured, and the studies varied a lot (ODS, Whiting 2014). In a 12-week trial in 77 adults with overweight, 4 mg a day cut reported intake by about 252 calories a day versus placebo, but neither 2 mg nor 4 mg changed body weight at 6 or 12 weeks (Urbina 2017). ODS notes that some research suggests capsaicin reduces appetite partly by causing stomach upset.
Safety: ODS says 4 mg a day can cause stomach and gut distress and might raise insulin and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol; otherwise capsaicinoids appear to be safe. FDA warns that many products sold for weight loss, including supplements and teas, are likely to contain dangerous hidden drug ingredients, and that its public list of such products covers only a small fraction of them.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for capsaicin supplements that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one.
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