Mary-Jon Ludy
HOT CHILIES CAN PLAY ROLE IN APPETITE CONTROL, LUDY FINDS
Feel the burn. No pain, no gain. These sayings are usually associated with strenuous exercise, but for Dr. Mary-Jon Ludy, they refer to the effects of hot chili peppers on appetite and energy expenditure.
Ludy, an associate professor of food and nutrition at Bowling Green State University, was quoted in a recent CNN story about foods that suppress appetite, including avocado, barley, spinach and soup. She has been studying chili peppers and other pungent spices since graduate school to determine whether they do indeed decrease appetite and also whether they increase the number of calories burned and the length of time between impulses to eat. She has published extensively on a variety of aspects of the topic.
In this time of rising obesity and worry about weight, people tend to look for anything that can help. Although there is no “super food” to make eaters magically lose pounds, there are some foods whose properties may have positive effects, Ludy said.
“It’s easier for people to think of adding things to their diet than of taking things away,” she said. “They’re much more receptive to foods that have benefits than to eliminating foods.”
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Drew Forhan