What would you say if I told you that there are bodybuilders out there who avoid all fat burner supplements but are devoted to the active ingredient in Cayenne pepper, capsaicin, and wont workout without it?  I know, its totally incredible to think that the spice hanging around most people’s kitchens is actually a popular fat loss supplement. Capsaicin is the stuff in chili peppers that makes them hot and it is a known irritant for humans and animals, best known for it burning sensation in any tissue that it touches—it’s the active ingredient in pepper spray.

So get this: scientists in Taiwan have actually found that capsaicin can causes fat cells to self- destruct!  In lab tests, scientists used pre-adipocytes, cells that develop into fat cells, as their subjects and infused the fat cells with capsaicin for 8 days. They found that the pre-adipocytes that had been exposed to the capsaicin died before they could develop into mature fat cells and that the subjects who took the capsaicin experienced a significant increase in their mean metabolic rate at 30 minutes and 60 minutes after taking the extract. Throughout the 2 week study, body fat was reduced in 70% of the subjects who had taken the capsaicin extract and the greatest effect of reduction of body fat was in those subjects who began the study with a higher fat content.  Amazingly, the subjects experienced a loss in fat, not water, which was measured by hand held body fat measuring devices.  This is actually incredible stuff.

Technically, if we go with the results of the study, if you take cayenne pepper 20 minutes before your workout, you will have a major added advantage throughout your workout!  Best of all, its all natural and no harm can really come from taking it, unless you have a stomach ulcer or something like that.  In my opinion, it’s worth a try.  One or 2 capsules before your workout should do the trick.