Paprika carotenoids and their effects on oxidation, obesity and endurance
What it found
Paprika carotenoids showed strong antioxidant effects and helped prevent obesity-related diseases in lab tests.
In athletes, they lowered oxygen use and heart rate during exercise.
What they found
Studies in people
Absorption into blood
When eaten, paprika carotenoids are taken up into the blood and can be found inside red blood cells.
Endurance in athletes
In athletes, dietary paprika carotenoids improved endurance by lowering oxygen use and reducing heart rate.
Animal and lab studies
Antioxidant effects in labs
Capsanthin and capsorubin from paprika showed strong antioxidant activity in laboratory tests.
Obesity-related disease prevention
These carotenoids also showed a preventive effect against diseases linked to obesity in laboratory tests.
What the authors conclude
- They report that capsanthin and capsorubin have strong antioxidant properties and may help prevent obesity-related diseases.
- They note that these carotenoids are absorbed into the blood and can improve endurance in athletes.
How it was done
The authors wanted to understand the biological activities of capsanthin and capsorubin, which are characteristic carotenoids found in paprika.
They examined the effects of paprika carotenoids, including capsanthin and capsorubin, on oxidation, obesity-related diseases, and athletic performance. The abstract does not state how many people or samples were tested or for how long.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The abstract does not describe how the studies were set up, so it is hard to judge the strength of the evidence.
- Lab findings about antioxidants and obesity prevention may not work the same way in everyday diets.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Hirosaki University, Japan; Institute of Health Sciences, Japan; Research Institute for Production Development, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Biological Activities of Paprika Carotenoids, Capsanthin and Capsorubin
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Maeda H, Nishino A, Maoka T (2021). Biological Activities of Paprika Carotenoids, Capsanthin and Capsorubin. Advances in experimental medicine and biology. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-7360-6_26PubMed 33783751DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error