Paprika xanthophylls and belly fat in 100 overweight people
What it found
Taking paprika xanthophyll capsules for 12 weeks reduced belly fat, body weight, and cholesterol in overweight people.
The drop was larger than in people taking dummy capsules.
What they found
Studies in people
Belly fat shrank
After 12 weeks, the layer of fat just under the skin and total belly fat both dropped in the paprika group but rose slightly in the dummy group. Waist size also fell more in the paprika group.
Body weight fell
People taking paprika xanthophylls lost about 0.95 kg on average over 12 weeks. Their body mass index dropped by 0.33 points. The dummy group saw almost no change.
Cholesterol improved
Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol fell in the paprika group after 12 weeks. These levels did not change in the dummy group. The ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol also improved in the paprika group.
Deep belly fat
The fat stored deep inside the belly around organs dropped by 2.82 cm2 in the paprika group and 0.43 cm2 in the dummy group. The authors say this difference between the two groups was too small to be certain it was caused by the capsules.
Pigments entered the blood
Blood tests showed that specific paprika pigments like capsanthin and zeaxanthin rose in the paprika group after 12 weeks. This confirmed the volunteers were absorbing the ingredients from the capsules.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that taking 9.0 mg of paprika xanthophylls daily for 12 weeks reduces belly fat and body weight in overweight people without causing side effects.
- They suggest these paprika pigments improve how the body handles fats in the blood.
- They note this is the first trial of its kind and plan further studies on other possible benefits.
How it was done
Extra belly fat raises the risk of conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease. The authors wanted to see if natural pigments from red paprika could shrink belly fat in overweight adults.
They gave 100 healthy overweight Japanese adults either a daily capsule with 9.0 mg of paprika xanthophylls or a dummy capsule for 12 weeks. They used CT scans to measure belly fat before and after. In the end, they analysed results from 41 people in the paprika group and 39 in the dummy group.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial lasted only 12 weeks, so it cannot show whether the changes in belly fat or cholesterol last longer.
- All 100 volunteers were healthy overweight Japanese adults, so the results might not apply to people of other backgrounds or those who are severely obese.
- The capsules contained a mix of several paprika pigments, so this trial cannot tell us which single pigment caused the changes.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Institute of Health Sciences, Ltd
The paper
- Title
- Effect of Oral Paprika Xanthophyll Intake on Abdominal Fat in Healthy Overweight Humans: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Kakutani R, Hokari S, Nishino A, et al (2018). Effect of Oral Paprika Xanthophyll Intake on Abdominal Fat in Healthy Overweight Humans: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study. Journal of oleo science. doi:10.5650/jos.ess18076Free full textPubMed 30111683DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error