8 Cinnamon, Cumin & Turmeric Weight Loss Studies

How can cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric help you lose weight?

Science says they can… And today, you learn why and how you can use these superfoods to boost your own metabolism.

Want to learn more? Read on!

How spices can help you lose weight, according to science!

Do you ever wish there was a magic potion you could add to food that would help you lose weight more easily?

Something that would melt your body melt fat, instead of you having to sweat at the gym and eat tiny portions of food?

Well, there’s scientific proof that says spices not only flavor healthy food so it tastes better, but the way their chemical compounds interact with our bodies can actually boost weight-loss.

Now, there are some expressways to great flavor like high fat and high sugar, but those are also expressways to the plus-sized section and the pharmacy for insulin prescriptions.

That’s why the best, quickest way to get tons of flavor and incredible health BENEFITS (like weight-loss) in your food is spices!

Spices not only make you feel more alive while you’re eating, there’s a lot of evidence showing that spices are ideal for losing weight, and even living a longer healthier life!

I found some of the best research from the most reliable sources on how (and which) spices help lose weight and live healthier.

Here are 8 mind-blowing studies completed in renowned institutions like Harvard’s School of Public Health, Tufts University and the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

These studies prove why spices increase your metabolism and burn calories, leading to easier and faster weight-loss – and it’s sustainable!

1. Turmeric Benefits Weight Loss by Inhibiting Fat Cell Formation & Expansion

Name of Study: Curcumin (main ingredient in Turmeric) Inhibits Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and Angiogenesis and Obesity in C57/BL Mice

Year Conducted: 2009

Location Study Conducted: Tufts University

Study Description: “We investigated the effect of curcumin, the major polyphenol in turmeric spice, on angiogenesis, adipogenesis, differentiation, apoptosis, and gene expression involved in lipid and energy metabolism in 3T3-L1 adipocyte in cell culture systems and on body weight gain and adiposity in mice fed a high-fat diet (22%) supplemented with 500 mg curcumin/kg diet for 12 wk.”

Findings: “The curcumin suppression of angiogenesis in adipose tissue together with its effect on lipid metabolism in adipocytes may contribute to lower body fat and body weight gain. Our findings suggest that dietary curcumin, present in turmeric, may have a potential benefit in preventing obesity.”

2. Cinnamon Lowers Blood Sugar Concentration, Which Keeps Fat Storage Low

Name of Study: Effect of Ground Cinnamon on Postprandial Blood Glucose Concentration in Normal-Weight and Obese Adults

Location Study Conducted: Ball State University

Study Description: “The objective of the study was to compare declines in postprandial glycemic response in normal-weight and obese subjects with ingestion of 6 g ground cinnamon. In a crossover study, subjects consumed 50 g available carbohydrate in instant farina cereal, served plain or with 6 g ground cinnamon.”

Findings: Blood glucose concentration was measured at multiple time intervals and “ … the addition of cinnamon to the cereal significantly reduced (blood glucose levels).” “These results suggest cinnamon may be effective in moderating and decreasing sugar levels in normal weight and obese adults.” This leads to less fat gain.

3. Lose Your Belly Fat with Cumin for Weight Loss

Name of Study: Effect of cumin powder on body composition and lipid profile in overweight and obese women.

Year Conducted: October 2013/November 2014

Location Study Conducted: Nutrition and Food Security Research Centre, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Department of Nutrition, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Nutrition and Food Security Research Centre, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Department of Nutrition, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Electronic address: azmm1383@yahoo.com.

Study Description: In this randomized clinical trial, 88 overweight/obese women were randomly assigned into two groups. The experimental group was asked to have 3 g/d cumin powder with yogurt at two meals for 3 months. The same amount of yogurt minus cumin powder was prescribed for the control group. All patients received nutrition counseling for weight loss in a similar manner. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were determined before and after the intervention.

FINDINGS: Cumin powder reduced serum levels of fasting cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL and increased HDL. Weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass and its percentage significantly reduced from the use of cumin powder. It has no effect on FBS and fat-free mass.

4. Consider Using Black Pepper for Weight Loss Plans

Name of Study: Effect of piperine (present in black pepper) in the regulation of obesity-induced dyslipidemia in high-fat diet rats.
Year Conducted: 2010

Location Study Conducted: (Collaborative) Department of Pharmacology, K.B. Raval College of Pharmacy, Gandhinagar, India

Department of Pharmacology, K.B. Institute of Pharm. Edu. and Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

Crimea Medical University, Simferopol, Ukraine

Study Description: Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed high-fat diet (HFD) for the first eight weeks, to develop obesity-induced dyslipidemia. Later on piperine (40 mg / kg) and sibutramine (5 mg / kg) were administered for three weeks along with the continuation of HFD to two separate groups, which served as the test and standard groups, respectively.

Findings: “…results suggest that piperine (in black pepper) possesses potential fat reducing and lipid lowering effects, without any change in food appetite, at a small dose of 40 mg / kg….”

5. Does Cayenne Pepper Burn Belly Fat? YES!

Name of Study: Enhanced Energy Expenditure and Fat Oxidation in Humans with High BMI Scores by the Ingestion of Novel and Non-Pungent Capsaicin Analogues (Capsinoids; in cayenne pepper)

Year Conducted: 2006

Location Study Conducted: Ajinomoto Research Institute for Health Fundamentals

Study Description: “The biochemical and physiological indices were monitored in 44 subjects after 4-week capsinoids (capsaicin analogues with low pungency) intake. The subjects were randomly assigned to 3 groups.”

Findings: “capsinoids intake would be able to enhance the energy expenditure and fat burning in humans, particularly those with high BMI.”

6. Turmeric + Black Pepper Pack a Healthy Punch Together

Name of Study: Influence of Piperine (major ingredient in black pepper) on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin (ingredient in Turmeric) in Animals and Human Volunteers

Year Conducted: 1998

Location Study Conducted: Department of Pharmacology, St. John’s Medical College

Study Description: “In this study the effect of combining piperine, a component of black pepper, was evaluated in how made the fat-burning ingredient in turmeric (curcumin) more available to the body.

Findings: “The study shows that in the dosages used, piperine in black pepper enhances the serum concentration, extent of absorption and bioavailability of curcumin (turmeric) so that it is more effective in fat-burning in both rats and humans with no adverse effects.”

7. Ginseng Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Increases Weight-Loss

Name of Study: Ginsenoside Rh2 is One of the Active Principles of Panax Ginseng Root to Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Fructose-rich Chow-fed Rats

Location Study Conducted: College of Medicine – National Cheng Kung University Tainan City

Study Description: “Male Wistar rats” … “were divided into two groups for the experiment. One group of rats received an intravenous injection of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin (ginseng extract). Rats with plasma glucose concentration of 400 mg/dl or greater in addition to polyuria and other diabetic disorders were considered as type-1 diabetic animals.”

Findings: “In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that ginsenoside Rh2, an effective component of Panax ginseng root has the ability to improve insulin resistance … ”

8. People Who Eat Spicy Food Live Longer. Period!

Name of Study: Consumption of spicy foods and total and cause specific mortality: population based cohort study
Year Conducted: 2004 – 2008.

Location Study Conducted: Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Study Description: “Looked at data from 485,000 people in China who reported on dietary habits, including how often they ate spicy foods, red meat, alcohol, and vegetables. They excluded anyone who had a history of heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. At the end of the seven-year study period, the researchers looked to see if there were any connections between diet, disease, and mortality risk.”

Findings: “They found that people who ate spicy foods one or two days per week had a 10% reduced risk of overall mortality, compared to those who had a spicy meal less often than once per week.”

“Those who ate spicy foods three to five times and six to seven times per week all had a 14% reduced risk of dying.”

Over to you!

There you have it! Now you know how cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric can help you lose weight.

Are you already using these spices in your life?

Let me know in the comments below!