Capsicum Can Control Obesity As Well As Diabetes

Due to the increasing cases of "diabesity" that challenge health experts as well as affected individuals, some scientists at the CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) have analysed green, yellow and red bell peppers for anti-hyperglycaemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effect, finding some good results, according to thehealthsite.

Scientists have probed the effect of bell peppers, or capsicum, on "nutrition digestive enzymes", especially carbohydrate-cleaving enzyme, alpha-glucosidase and lipid-slicing enzyme, pancreatic lipase. It has been found that almost all the time, carbohydrates are broken into disaccharides and finally converted into glucose due to the alpha -glucosidase enzyme on the intestinal wall, although pancreatic lipase converts lipids into fatty acids.

Researchers have also discovered that yellow and red bell peppers can bring down the speed of the digestion of carbohydrates and lipids. The investigation has been published in Natural Products Research.

The inhibition due to the yellow capsicum is almost double than that of green capsicum, says lead author and Senior Principal Scientist, Dr Ashok Kumar Tiwari, according to zeenews. Even as yellow capsicum reduces the activity of alpha-glucosidase and lipase enzyme as compared to green capsicum, the inhibition is more.

He explains that as digestion of carbohydrates and lipids slows down, the glucose and lipids in the blood also reduces, and thus the risk of developing hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidemia drops.

Hence, yellow capsicum is a better option than green capsicum, he adds.

The lipase inhibiting activity of red capsicum is almost as much as that of yellow capsicum, but the inhibition of glucosidase is like that of green capsicum.

The oligomerised anthocyanins in these capsicums are better inhibitors than pro-anthocyanins in the green ones. Hence, he recommends yellow and red capsicum in raw form as salad before the main course.

While hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia induce oxidative stress, Dr Tiwari points out that yellow and red capsicums have better anti-oxidative activity than the green ones. Oxidative stress leads to free radicals, which damage biomolecules and has been said to be included in many diseases, including diabetic complications, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.