Gut microbiota bridging spicy food intake and obesity: evidence from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) study.

Background: Obesity has emerged as a major global public health issue, associated with increased rates of chronic disease and death. Previous studies have reported an association between spicy food intake and obesity. However, existing studies still have several limitations, including a shortage of detailed dietary surveys, insufficient accounts for the effects of different types of chili peppers and fatty acids on obesity, and the mechanisms through which spicy food consumption influences the gut microbiota and adipokines have not been sufficiently investigated.

Methods: A total of 950 adults, aged 30-79 years, were included from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) study. Dietary intake data from the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and 24-h recall were collected. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between spicy food intake and obesity. Evaluate the impact of spicy foods on gut microbiota through 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis.

Results: At the population level, we demonstrated that the intake of spicy food is a risk factor for obesity in Chinese Han population in cold regions of Yunnan Province (OR = 1.82, 95%CI: 1.11-2.99). At the animal level, we found that Capsaicin (CAP), a key active component of spicy foods, may not exert weight-loss effects when exposed to cold environments; instead, it appears to lipid accumulation and exacerbated disorders in gut microbiota dysbiosis and was modulated by leptin levels, both of which play critical roles in the development of obesity.

Conclusions: Spicy food intake is a risk factor for obesity in Chinese Han population in cold regions of Yunnan Province. This may lead to increased lipid accumulation and exacerbate disorders associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, which are modulated by leptin levels. Both factors influence the development of obesity.