A compound that makes peppers hot effectively lowers blood sugar in dogs, say researchers from Jamaica, suggesting that it might someday be used to treat diabetes in humans.

Peppers are used by traditional Jamaican healers to treat diabetes, but the compound, capsaicin, has never been formally tested. The compound is also used in the US to treat painful nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy.

The investigators tested the effects of capsaicin on blood sugar and insulin levels in dogs.

Beginning 2 hours after receiving a sugary treat, blood sugar levels in the dogs that received capsaicin were well below those in dogs that did not receive the pepper protein, the authors report.

The levels of insulin -- the hormone that controls the body's handling of sugar -- were higher after 2.5 hours in the dogs that received capsaicin, the report indicates, even though the insulin appeared to stick less strongly to blood cells.

The researchers note that they are not sure whether the pepper extract increases the release of insulin or slows down its breakdown.

Phytotherapy Research August 2001;15:391-394

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I think this is somewhat like the cinnamon study I posted one year ago. Although both cinnamon and hot peppers are likely to reduce insulin levels, they should not be relied upon for primary control. The proper way to lower insulin is by following the eating plan and exercising, plain and simple. The new twist, of course, is to use Emotional Freedom Technique to remove the emotional barriers that prevent you from following those recommendations.