The burn from biting into a pepper can raise your body temperature, and that may help people lose weight, according to a report from the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

A news release on the study also said that some plants contain a substance called DCT that causes some of the same effects as the capsaicin found in peppers, without the burning lips and tongue.

A team of scientists recruited 34 people who were trying to lose weight and put them on a low-calorie, liquid diet for 28 days. They were randomly given either a placebo or supplements that contained DCT in one of two doses.

According to a news release, those who took the highest level of DCT nearly doubled the number of calories they burned, compared to those who got the placebo.

They also showed more fat burning.

The researchers said, however, that it was not clear how much it would help with actual weight loss, because they tested just the response to a single meal. They also said their could be differences in how DCT affects obese or lean people.