COPENHAGEN—Hot spices did not reduce calorie intake, but they increased the desire for sweet foods and decreased the desire for salty foods in a recent study published in Food Quality and Preference (doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2010.04.003).
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen investigated the effect of hot spices on calorie intake and appetite. Forty participants received five meals of fixed portion sizes, served with or without five hot spices, including chili, horseradish, ginger, mustard and wasabi, followed by a buffet. Spices were used in doses perceived as moderately hot, ensuring that the meals were palatable. Food intake; appetite and liking (before, during, after the meal and after the buffet); mood (before, after the meal and after the buffet); and desire to eat sweet, sour, fatty, salty, bitter and hot foods (after the meal and after the buffet) were measured on 9-point scales.
They found hot spices did not affect energy intake (P>0.05). Desire for sweet foods was increased by chili (0.6 point, P<0.05) whereas desire to eat salty foods was decreased by mustard (1 point, P<0.01), suggesting that hot spices can induce changes in sensory specific desires.
