Potential Benefits with Capsaicin

Interviewer: So what are the benefits of capsaicinoids? Like pain relief is one that people in common . . .

 
Dr. Bloomer: Most individuals, I think if they heard the term Capsaicin, they would think of a topical rub on cream. That they may actually be able to apply certain areas for the relief of, typically, arthritis pain. Sometimes inflammation. Sometimes itching, et cetera. So it's in many cases for pain relief and it does that specifically by, you know, blocking the signal from the spinal chord to the brain through really, inactivation of something known as substance P. So there's a wealth of literature on that. There's a lot of integral reports of individuals using this topical capsaicin cream at various concentrations for pain relief. In terms of the literature that we've really focused on in some of our research, capsaicinoids or capsaicin, regardless of what term you want to use, that has been used for purposes of weight management in associated parameters. So studies have involved acute trials of which an individual may ingest capsaicin or capsaicinoids one time and one time only. And then before, in intervals after that injection they may measure various things such as energy expenditure. Which would indicate a thermogenic or heat reducing effect. They may measure things such as oxidation or the appearance of, what I call, free fatty acids in the blood stream. We've done some of that work. Other studies have actually involved chronic ingestion of capsaicinoids either through whole foods, some studies have included whole foods, you know, soups and et cetera. Or encapsulated products over the course of several weeks. And typically the outcomes of interests there would be things such as body weight, body fat levels assessed through various techniques. Possibly focusing on things such as sugar regulation, blood insulin concentrations, hemoglobin A1C. Things that are associated with, often times the regulation or control of blood glucose related to type 2 diabetes. And they've done because often times when individuals lose a significant amount of body mass,they see that there's favorable changes in, you know, blood sugar and insulin sensitivity in associated parameters. So some studies have involved acute single ingestion. Other studies have involved actual daily ingestion over the course of 6, 8, 12 week periods.