The so-called Cayenne Pepper Diet is not new, of course. Some people seem to believe that Cayenne pepper increases thermogenesis, helps reduce caloric consumption, and promotes weight loss.

The premise is alarmingly simple: If you need to lose weight, add some Cayenne pepper to your diet and you will start losing weight, or so the theory goes. But is it true?

New research seems to suggest that capsaicin – the active ingredient in chili and Cayenne peppers – may be a promising thermogenic chemical.

Taiwanese researchers found that it destroyed new fat cells and prevented fat cell growth – at least in test tubes. It also inhibited genes involved in fat cell growth.

In another study, Danish researchers reported that in a concentrated form, capsaicin promoted thermogenesis, reduced hunger, and triggered fat breakdown, but it had a negligible effect on actual weight loss.

Conclusion: Cayenne pepper may be an effective weight-loss agent in the future, if researchers figure out a way to extract a more potent version of capsaicin. [sources: International Journal of Obesity, Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry, FitnessRX]