Abstract
Sedentary/inactive lifestyle leads middle-aged and older adults to metabolic syndrome and frailty. Capsinoids from nonpungent chili pepper cultivar have been reported to reduce body fat mass, promote metabolism, and improve unidentified complaints of chills. Additionally, they have an anti-inflammation effect; therefore, we hypothesized that continuous oral ingestion of capsinoids alleviates age-related inflammation in the brain and improves the physical activity (PA) in middle-aged and older adults. In our double-blind human study, 69 participants (17 male, 52 female; mean age: 74.1 ± 7.7 years; range: 52–87 years) were administered either 9 mg of capsinoids which were extracted from pepper fruit variety CH-19 Sweet (Capsicum anuum L.) (CP group), or a placebo (PL group) daily over a 3 month period. In an animal study, PA and inflammation-related mRNA expression in the brain were examined in 5-week (young) and 53-week (old) aged mice fed a diet with or without 0.3% dihydrocapsiate, a type of capsinoids, for 12 weeks. In a human study, capsinoids intake did not increase the amount of light-to-moderate PA less than 6.0 metabolic equivalents (METs) (CP: 103.0 ± 28.2 at baseline to 108.2 ± 28.3 at 12 weeks; PL: 104.6 ± 19.8 at baseline to 115.2 ± 23.6 at 12 weeks, METs × hour/week); however, in participants exhibiting an inactive lifestyle, it showed significant increase (CP: 84.5 ± 17.2 at baseline to 99.2 ± 24.9 at 12 weeks; PL: 99.7 ± 23.3 at baseline to 103.8 ± 21.9 at 12 weeks). The energy expenditure in physical activity also improved in the inactive CP group (CP: 481.2 ± 96.3 at baseline to 562.5 ± 145.5 at 12 weeks; PL: 536.8 ± 112.2 at baseline to 598.6 ± 127.6 at 12 weeks; kcal/day). In all participants, CP showed reduced waist circumference, percent body fat, and visceral fat volume; in addition, chills were eased in subjects aged 80 years and older. The older mice fed capsinoids showed increased locomotion activity, decreased inflammation, and oxidative stress in the brain. The results suggest that the continuous oral ingestion of capsinoids gains PA through anti-inflammation effect in the brain as well as reduces fat accumulation and chills in inactive and older humans.
Highlights
Frailty impairs a healthy lifespan, and the core element of frailty is a decline in physical function, such as muscular strength and walking ability [1]
We investigated our hypothesis that continuous ingestion of capsinoids for 3 months would increase physical activity (PA) in middle-aged and elderly people as measured using an activity meter
We calculated and checked the energy expended in physical activity in both groups and confirmed that the increased light-to-moderate PA (LMPA) was related to increased energy expenditure in capsinoids group (CP) from inactive participants
Summary
Frailty impairs a healthy lifespan, and the core element of frailty is a decline in physical function, such as muscular strength and walking ability [1]. Frailty has come to be recognized as a broad health problem that involves physical and psychological aspects, such as diminished cognitive function and depression, and social problems, such as withdrawal and isolating behaviors [2]. Frailty is a problem mainly in older age, studies have found relationships between hypertension and cerebrovascular dementia [3], and between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease [4]. Lifestyle-related diseases in middle age can increase the risk of frailty; starting prevention of frailty is critical in middle age as well as for older adults. PA controls obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases during middle age, and lessens the risk of muscle weakness, decreased balancing capacity, falls, and fractures in the elderly [8,9]. As such, increasing one’s amount of PA is believed to be essential for maintaining good health, from middle age onward
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