Because spicy foods are consumed daily throughout the globe, some people might wonder how healthy they are. In particular, hot peppers provide nutritional benefits, many of which can be surprising. They can be used as ointment to soothe the skin, or they can be used to treat ulcers. There are even claims that hot peppers can help people to lose weight.
Nutrients
Most hot peppers are typically healthy in general. They aren't jam-packed with carbohydrates or calories, and most hot peppers are rich in vitamins A and C. So if you're trying to lose weight but don't want to be stuck with a boring meal, you can add hot peppers, cayenne pepper or hot sauce for zing and you don't have to feel bad about it. People are more likely to stick to a diet with taste rather than a bland diet, and if you're a spice lover, then hot peppers can help this way.
Capsaicin
One of the major benefits of hot peppers is capsaicin. This is the ingredient in chili peppers that gives them their spice. Certain plants evolved to become spicy in order to prevent getting eaten by birds, insects and other animals. Ironically, the spice is the main reason why people these days eat hot peppers. Capsaicin can provide healthy outcomes including lowering blood pressure, relieving pain from arthritis and it can even help to lose weight.
Metabolism
After eating hot peppers, capsaicin will increase blood flow and cause your body to generate heat, which can result in sweating. This in turn can cause the body to burn calories quicker and to speed up the metabolism. In 2008, the "Journal of Biological Chemistry" explained that the process thermogenesis -- the point at which cells will turn into heat -- can be brought on from chili peppers. It reported the results of a study conducted by Aarhus University Research Foundation, which found that upon consuming capsaicin, your metabolism can increase.
Heat or No Heat
This might sound great for someone looking to lose weight and who loves spicy foods, but people who cringe at the idea of eating anything zesty don't have to turn away from capsaicin altogether. One experiment reported by "Science News" in 2010 supports the theory that both hot and nonhot peppers can speed up the metabolism. The nonburning capsaicin is given the name dihydrocapsiate, or DCT. David Herber, professor of medicine and public health, conducted a study with his researchers at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition that involved 34 participants consuming nonspicy peppers. The study concluded that nonhot peppers worked the same way as hot peppers in that they caused the body to burn off more fat.
References
- Phytochemicals: What is Capsaicin?
- Life Plus Vitamins: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Chili Peppers, Vegetables and Nutrition
- Med India; Capsaicin in Chilli Peppers Increases Metabolism, Body Temperature; Thilaka Ravi; August 2008
- "Journal of Biological Chemistry"; Capsaicin Stimulates Uncoupled ATP Hydrolysis by the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Pump; Yasser A. Mahmmoud; June 2008
- Science Daily; Peppers May Increase Energy Expenditure in People Trying to Lose Weight; April 2010
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