Can the consumption of hot peppers do something good for your health? Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks
Mexican males have diets that are among the highest in saturated fats. They are commonly overweight.
They also have a disproportionately low rate of coronary disease. Many attribute this to the routine consumption of chiles.
Look in my recipe thread for excellent salsa recipes.
Capsaicin, the “hot” in hot peppers, is known to improve circulation. Generally the sweats that some people have from eating hot foods are aused buy the skin flushing.
It is also known, believe it or not, to improve digestion. Yes, it is true. Eating spicy food tends to make you salivate more, releasing more of the enzymes that initially start breaking your food down. This translates to mean better digestion.
Since it stimulates and mildly irritates the mucous membranes, I use it to open my sinuses when I have a cold, as well. Not by inserting it up my nose, you silly, by eating it.
It is also a very mild stimulant, and a natural pain killer. Some sports creams for relaxing strained, muscles contain capsaicin for its relaxing, heat-inducing properties?
Is it good for you? I think so. YMMV
On that note, something else I remember about capsaicin: From MotherNature.com
I recall reading ( no citation-sorry) that a study done in Mexico found evidence that a diet high in consumption
of hot peppers seemed to reduce the incidence of head and neck tumors ( in heavy users of Tobacco)…but
seemed to INCREASE the incidence of stomach, liver and kidney tumors…ya’ just caint win…
Hot peppers are also very high in vitamin A and vitamin C.
I f I remember correctly, hot peppers are also high in Vitamin C.
Oops, simulpost… Cher wins…
According to Jethro Kloss in Back to Eden, the natural-healing bible, Capsicum is valuable for health. He recommends using it to treat the common cold (I love it for this application: I sit down to a bowl of soup liberally dusted with cayenne). Kloss also recommends cayenne for stomach ulcers, incredible as that may sound.
Psychologically, I get high off the endorphin release. I don’t do drugs, so thank God for Capsicum! Once I was eating Indian food and chomped down on a fresh Serrano chili. (I’m so inured to chili that I’m not bothered by pain from it.) I felt the top of my head fly off and soar up through the clouds into the stratosphere. Wheeeeeeeeeee…
Maybe your question isn’t answered here but it’s a wealth of hot information:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=7806
There is some evidence that they boost the metabolism.
Here’s a site with some interesting info: