Capsanthin (paprika xanthophylls)

Also called paprika xanthophylls, capsicum carotenoids, paprika carotenoids, paprika oleoresin, red pepper carotenoids, capsorubin.

Best grade C across 4 graded outcomes Other Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 8 sources

Capsanthin and related paprika xanthophylls are red pepper carotenoids, unrelated to the heat compound capsaicin. Small Japanese trials of 9 mg/day, mostly run by one manufacturer, reported less abdominal fat and better UV tolerance (grade C–D). A 2003 absorption study found capsanthin itself barely reaches the blood, and a 12-week safety study could not detect it in plasma.

Every graded outcome on this page

4 rows · line = participants

Grade CVisceral and total abdominal fat (CT scan)Body fatn 100
Grade DBone turnover markers in postmenopausal womenBonen 91
Grade DSunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose) and UV-induced darkeningUV skin responsen 46
Grade DHeart rate and exercise efficiency during cycling testsEndurancen 21

Key facts

What it is: A red xanthophyll carotenoid from paprika, found with capsorubin, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin in paprika oleoresin^5,6
Studied amount: 9 mg/day of paprika xanthophylls in the fat and UV trials^1,2
Absorption: After a 35 mg dose, capsanthin was barely detectable in chylomicrons; in a 12-week study it was not detected in plasma at all^6,5
Who ran the trials: The fat, UV and skin-moisture trials were run by Ezaki Glico, a paprika xanthophyll maker; Riken Vitamin, the extract supplier, funded the bone-marker trial^1,2,3,7
Safety data: No adverse events at 20 or 100 mg/day of paprika oleoresin for 12 weeks (33 adults), in a study by staff of Riken Vitamin, an ingredient company⁵

What it is

Capsanthin is the main red carotenoid of paprika (Capsicum annuum), sold in paprika xanthophyll extracts.

How it works

Proposed

Trial authors propose that xanthophylls deposited in skin quench singlet oxygen generated by UV light. Because capsanthin itself was not detected in plasma, effects may come from other paprika carotenoids such as zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin, which did accumulate.^2,5,6

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Capsanthin (paprika xanthophylls) forms compared

2 forms

Capsanthin (paprika xanthophylls) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 forms	Paprika xanthophyll extract (capsules)	Paprika oleoresin
Absorption in people	No absorption data for the trial capsules themselves; capsanthin from paprika oleoresin is very poorly absorbed.⁶	Zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene were absorbed; capsanthin and capsorubin had very low bioavailability after a single dose, and capsanthin was not detected in plasma after 12 weeks.^6,5
GI tolerance	No adverse effects were reported at 9 mg/day for 12 weeks.¹	No adverse events at 20 or 100 mg/day for 12 weeks in blood, urine and clinical checks.⁵
Studied for	Abdominal fat, UV skin response, skin moisture	Safety and plasma carotenoid levels

Paprika xanthophyll extract (capsules)
Absorption in people
No absorption data for the trial capsules themselves; capsanthin from paprika oleoresin is very poorly absorbed.⁶
GI tolerance
No adverse effects were reported at 9 mg/day for 12 weeks.¹
Studied for
Abdominal fat, UV skin response, skin moisture
Paprika oleoresin
Absorption in people
Zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene were absorbed; capsanthin and capsorubin had very low bioavailability after a single dose, and capsanthin was not detected in plasma after 12 weeks.^6,5
GI tolerance
No adverse events at 20 or 100 mg/day for 12 weeks in blood, urine and clinical checks.⁵
Studied for
Safety and plasma carotenoid levels

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

4 graded outcomes, largest study first

4 graded outcomes: 3 improved, 1 mixed. The largest, a 2018 randomized trial of 100 people on visceral and total abdominal fat (CT scan), found an improvement.

By sizeTable

1Visceral and total abdominal fat (CT scan)

Improved · Grade C · RCT, 100 people, 2018

Healthy overweight adults, BMI 25 to under 30 (Japan)

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Visceral and total abdominal fat (CT scan)	Improved	100	Grade C · RCT, 2018	Healthy overweight adults, BMI 25 to under 30 (Japan)
Bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women	Mixed	91	Grade D · RCT, 2020	Healthy postmenopausal women (Japan)
Sunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose) and UV-induced darkening	Improved	46	Grade D · RCT, 2018	Healthy volunteers (Japan)
Heart rate and exercise efficiency during cycling tests	Improved	21	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2025	Healthy college students, 18 men and 3 women (Japan)

Every graded row

4 rows

Form tested

Showing 4 of 4 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade CVisceral and total abdominal fat (CT scan)Body fatImprovedRCT
n 100 · 2018

Improved Visceral fat area was smaller than with placebo, and subcutaneous fat, total fat area and BMI fell more than with placebo; total and LDL cholesterol fell within the xanthophyll group. No adverse effects were reported.

Design: RCT, n = 100, 2018
Population: Healthy overweight adults, BMI 25 to under 30 (Japan)
Form: Paprika xanthophyll capsules
Dose: 9 mg paprika xanthophylls/day
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 1 · PubMed 30111683 (opens PubMed)

Grade DBone turnover markers in postmenopausal womenBoneMixedRCT
n 91 · 2020

Mixed One bone-breakdown marker (TRACP-5b) fell more than with placebo at 24 weeks; the other breakdown marker and the bone-formation markers did not differ significantly. Bone density was not measured.

Design: RCT, n = 91, 2020
Population: Healthy postmenopausal women (Japan)
Form: Paprika carotenoid extract (capsanthin, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin)
Dose: 20 mg extract/day (1.4 mg carotenoids)
Duration: 24 weeks
Source: Reference 7 · PubMed 33240029 (opens PubMed)

Grade DSunburn threshold (minimal erythema dose) and UV-induced darkeningUV skin responseImprovedRCT
n 46 · 2018

Improved The UV dose needed to cause redness was higher than with placebo at weeks 2 and 4, and UV-induced darkening was suppressed more at week 4; facial skin measures did not differ.

Design: RCT, n = 46, 2018
Population: Healthy volunteers (Japan)
Form: Paprika xanthophyll capsules
Dose: 9 mg paprika xanthophylls/day
Duration: 5 weeks
Source: Reference 2 · PubMed 29877227 (opens PubMed)

Grade DHeart rate and exercise efficiency during cycling testsEnduranceImprovedCrossover RCT
n 21 · 2025

Improved Heart rate was lower and exercise efficiency higher than in the control condition; cognitive tests did not differ between conditions.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 21, 2025
Population: Healthy college students, 18 men and 3 women (Japan)
Form: Paprika xanthophylls
Dose: Amount not stated in the abstract
Duration: Crossover with a 1-month washout (intake period not stated in the abstract)
Source: Reference 4 · PubMed 40944172 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

The headline compound barely gets in

Capsanthin was barely detectable after a 35 mg single dose and absent from plasma over 12 weeks, while zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin from the same extract accumulated.^6,5

One manufacturer, one dose

Three of the four efficacy trials were run by a paprika xanthophyll manufacturer, and the fat and UV trials both used 9 mg/day; independent replication is missing. The 12-week safety study was also industry-run (Riken Vitamin and TES Holdings).^1,2,3,5

A cosmetic trade-off

In the 4-week skin trial, facial moisture rose but the count of brown spots also increased (173 to 190).³

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 1.4 mg/day of paprika carotenoids (20 mg of extract) for 24 weeks in a bone-marker trial to 9 mg/day of paprika xanthophylls for 5 to 12 weeks in the fat and UV trials; a separate 12-week safety study used 20 or 100 mg/day of paprika oleoresin, and the skin-moisture trial lasted 4 weeks (amount not stated in its abstract).^7,1,2,3,5

When trials measured an effect

3 outcomes

How long trials ran before effects were measured
Outcome	Measured at	Basis
Sunburn threshold (UV redness)	Week 2, still present at week 4	46-person trial of 9 mg/day; measured at weeks 0, 2 and 4²
Abdominal fat	Week 12 (end of trial)	100-person trial of 9 mg/day; CT scans at the end of 12 weeks¹
Bone-breakdown marker TRACP-5b	Week 24 (end of trial)	Postmenopausal women on 20 mg/day of extract; markers measured at 12 and 24 weeks⁷

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Capsanthin and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

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Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

3 groups

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: The cited trials enrolled adults only, so they give no safety data for these groups, and LactMed has no entry for paprika xanthophylls. Its entry for Capsicum, the pepper genus that includes paprika, reports skin rashes in two breastfed infants after their mothers ate food spiced with red pepper.^8,1,2,5
People expecting a capsaicin effect: Paprika xanthophylls are carotenoids, not the pungent capsaicinoids, and no cited trial tested them for heat-related metabolism effects.^5,6
Allergy to nightshade plants: LactMed notes that cross-reactions can occur in people allergic to plants in the nightshade family, naming paprika, potatoes and tomatoes.⁸

Reading the label, and the cost per dose

Compare any product you already have by the amount it delivers, not by capsule count or front-of-pack weight.

How to read the label

3 checks

Capsanthin vs total xanthophylls

The trials dosed 9 mg of total paprika xanthophylls, a mixture; a label listing only capsanthin may not match.^1,2

Not the same as capsaicin

Capsicum carotenoid extracts are colour compounds, separate from capsaicin or capsinoid products.^5,6

Oleoresin amount is not xanthophyll amount

The 20 and 100 mg safety doses were of whole paprika oleoresin, not of purified xanthophylls.⁵

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, capsanthin (paprika xanthophylls) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch

Your numbers, no product data

Price paid ($)Servings per containerPaprika xanthophylls per serving (mg)

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Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

6 answers

Does paprika extract reduce belly fat?

One 12-week trial of 100 overweight Japanese adults found less visceral and total abdominal fat with 9 mg/day of paprika xanthophylls than with placebo. It was run by the manufacturer and has not been independently repeated.¹

Does capsanthin protect skin from the sun?

In one 5-week trial of 46 people, 9 mg/day raised the UV dose needed to cause redness compared with placebo. It was not tested as a replacement for sunscreen.²

Is capsanthin absorbed?

Poorly. After a 35 mg dose it barely appeared in blood fat particles, and it was not detected in plasma during 12 weeks of paprika oleoresin, while other paprika carotenoids were.^6,5

Does it improve endurance?

A 21-person crossover study reported lower heart rate and better exercise efficiency, but it had no placebo and the authors urge caution.⁴

Is paprika xanthophyll safe?

A 12-week industry-run study of 33 adults found no adverse events at 20 or 100 mg/day of paprika oleoresin, and the fat trial reported none at 9 mg/day. Longer-term and pregnancy data are lacking.^5,1

Is capsanthin the same as capsaicin?

No. Capsanthin is a red carotenoid pigment in paprika; capsaicin is the compound that makes chili peppers hot. Paprika xanthophyll extracts are not pungent.^5,6

Sources

8 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

8 sources

1Effect of Oral Paprika Xanthophyll Intake on Abdominal Fat in Healthy Overweight Humans: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study.RCT J Oleo Sci, 2018 · PMID 30111683
2Effects of Dietary Paprika Xanthophylls on Ultraviolet Light-Induced Skin Damage: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.RCT J Oleo Sci, 2018 · PMID 29877227
3Effects of Oral Supplementation with Paprika Xanthophylls on Human Skin Moisture.RCT J Oleo Sci, 2022 · PMID 35387919
4Effects of Paprika Xanthophyll Intake on Endurance and Cognitive Function in College Students: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial.Crossover RCT Nutrients, 2025 · PMID 40944172
5Safety Evaluation and Plasma Carotenoid Accumulation in Healthy Adult Subjects after 12 Weeks of Paprika Oleoresin Supplementation.RCT J Oleo Sci, 2018 · PMID 29367485
6Incorporation of carotenoids from paprika oleoresin into human chylomicrons.PK study Br J Nutr, 2003 · PMID 12828795
7Effects of paprika carotenoid supplementation on bone turnover in postmenopausal women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparison study.RCT Food Nutr Res, 2020 · PMID 33240029
8CapsicumDatabase LactMed (NCBI Bookshelf), 2021 · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026key facts, evidence, studied doses, who should avoid, time to effect, questions, related	Added a 2020 randomized trial of paprika carotenoid extract on bone turnover in 91 postmenopausal women (one of two bone-breakdown markers improved; grade D; n from the PMC full text; funded by Riken Vitamin). Pregnancy and breastfeeding note now cites LactMed's Capsicum entry (no entry exists for paprika xanthophylls), plus a nightshade-allergy note. Interactions checked in LiverTox (no entry), LactMed and PubMed: none reported for paprika xanthophylls, so the list stays empty. Added time-to-effect rows, page questions and goal-hub links. Searched PubMed for 2023–2026 trials: none beyond the 2025 endurance study already listed; not added: a 2022 cognition pilot without a placebo group (35052245).	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
Oct 14, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record; retraction, erratum and expression-of-concern links checked in the PubMed record) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice. The page is named capsanthin (the marker compound people search for) and covers capsicum carotenoids; kept separate from the existing capsaicin page because these are non-pungent carotenoids. The skin-moisture trial is cited in text only because its abstract does not give participant numbers.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page
Oct 14, 2026all	Adversarial review: the 12-week paprika oleoresin safety study (PMID 29367485) is by staff of Riken Vitamin and TES Holdings; this industry link is now stated in key facts, insights and the FAQ.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: review

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