Effects of CH-19 Sweet, a non-pungent cultivar of red pepper, on sympathetic nervous activity, body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure in humans

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2007 Mar;71(3):671-6. doi: 10.1271/bbb.60359. Epub 2007 Mar 7.

Abstract

We investigated the changes in autonomic nervous activity, body temperature, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) after intake of the non-pungent pepper CH-19 Sweet and of hot red pepper in humans to elucidate the mechanisms of diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) due to CH-19 Sweet. We found that CH-19 Sweet activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and enhances thermogenesis as effectively as hot red pepper, ant that the heat loss effect due to CH-19 Sweet is weaker than that due to hot red pepper. Furthermore, we found that intake of CH-19 Sweet does not affect systolic BP or HR, while hot red pepper transiently elevates them. These results indicate that DIT due to CH-19 Sweet can be induced via the activation of SNS as well as hot red pepper, but that the changes in BP, HR, and heat loss effect are different between these peppers.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood Pressure / drug effects*
  • Body Temperature / drug effects*
  • Capsaicin / analogs & derivatives
  • Capsaicin / pharmacology
  • Capsicum / chemistry*
  • Female
  • Heart Rate / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Sympathetic Nervous System / drug effects*
  • Thermogenesis / physiology

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Capsaicin