The surprising health benefits of spicy foods

Many years ago, I became a Curry Phaal monster, which means that I was quite courageous (and stupid) to accept a restaurant‘s challenge eat a chicken plate dipped in curry made most spicy peppers on earth. Each hironte looked like glass scratches scratching the throat. After finishing, I celebrated my success by throwing in a bush on the other side of the street. The benefits for the health of spicy food could not have been further from my mind.

But emerging research connects peppers – if they consume more reasonably than I did in this restaurant – for better health. Data “suggests that spicy foods can help metabolism, improving feelings of fullness and weight control,” said Dr. Long Nguyen, assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School.

Here is why the peppers can be good for you and how to heat your diet for taste and health.

The advantages of spicy food

Several studies reveal that people who eat spicy foods regularly have better overall health and fewer diseases. Increasingly, scientists understand how these foods help the body, although more research is necessary, says Nguyen.

In 2020, an in -depth research review find That a ricked diet in spicy peppers was associated with less obesity, heart disease and risk of diabetes. People who had a lot of spicy peppers were 25% less likely to die earlier than expected, compared to those who rarely or never eaten them.

The main author of the journal, the cardiologist Dr Bo XU at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, believes that these differences are due to capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers so hot so hot. Capsaicin lights the receptors in the nerve cells called TRPV1. These receivers in turn seem adrenalineburning fats and helps control blood sugar.

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Some research shows that TRPV1 receptors also help to control Hyperactive immune cells To reduce inflammation, an engine of chronic diseases such as heart disease. Medicines with capsaicin is sometimes applied to the skin for nervous pain and arthritis partly because the compound fights inflammation, and “capsaicin has potentially have some of these same effects inside the body when eaten,” explains Nguyen. An Italian study have found that people who ate peppers had wider advantages for heart health than those who favored sweet peppers, which contain much less capsaicin.

Spicy food can support a healthier microbiomeAlso. Although the data is limited, “spicy foods seem to increase the diversity of the microbiome”, explains Nguyen. This is advantageous because each type of bacteria performs different work, such as decomposing food, strengthening the intestinal lining and fighting harmful germs.

The effects of capsaicin on the microbiome have been studied mainly in animalsSaid Emma Laing, professor of clinical dietetics at the University of Georgia. “However, studies in humans also suggest that the intestinal properties of capsaicin could improve metabolism, inflammation and control of blood sugar and cholesterol,” explains Laing.

Relax in the fire

New people in spicy food should start soft peppers Like Poblanos. The dietitian Kiran Campbell says that it recommends spicy foods to patients looking to lose weight, while telling them to “start low and pass slowly” with heat.

Have food with capsaicin Increases toleranceSo that people can gradually work with more spicy peppers – which can offer more advantages. “There are certainly early data suggesting a relationship between the amount of capsaicin you eat and some of these anti-inflammatory effects,” said Nguyen.

This is due in part to the fact that the most spicy peppers, in addition to having more capsaicin, tend to pack more beneficial compounds such as antioxidants and phenols. According to a 2023 studyMany strong peppers are rich in antioxidants. However, less ardent options also offer some of these compounds. According to the same study, jalapeno peppers have a “solid antioxidant activity” at a more tolerable level of heat.

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Aim for spicy meals 2 to 4 times a week, recommends Campbell. At least one studyMeanwhile, reports to eat peppers 6 to 7 days a week, against less than a portion. (The exact quantities per day are not well defined, known as Xu.)

With frequent intake, language pain receptors become less sensitive to capsaicin in about a week, allowing warmer peppers for greater health.

“There is a debate” on this point, however, says Nguyen. The research published last month suggests that the benefits of Spicy Food simply come from the burning mouth, regardless of the amount of capsaicin you take. John Hayes, professor of food science at Penn State, find that when people experience food as spicy, their behavior changes: they chew more slowly. This allows them to prepare for spices, recover or avoid swallowing a large spicy piece. The slowdown leads to less eating and can lead to healthier weight, digestion and glucose levels.

In other words, the behavior change could explain many advantages sometimes attributed to capsaicin. “Researchers are divided between physical and behavioral explanations,” explains Hayes.

Do not go out

If you go too far, your body – like mine – will be rebellious. “High consumption can really worsen the symptoms of acid reflux and irritable colon syndrome, especially if you have had enough drastic food changes,” said Nguyen, who is also an expert in the American Gastroenterological Association.

Nguyen rarely has a chance to speak with her patients about spicy food who has potentially stimulated their health; It mainly appears as a cause of their gastrointestinal symptoms. “If it is a known trigger, then moderation or avoidance is cautious,” he said, adding that people can follow symptoms to find out what level of spices, if necessary, is tolerable.

Your doctor or dietitian should guide this process, adds Laing. Experts can also identify other ingredients that may explain digestive pain. “It is possible that spices are not the culprit,” she says.

How to prepare your peppers

Fresh peppers are probably healthier than processed. Research Shows that people who regularly have fresh cut peppers, instead of dried or terrestrial versions, appreciated the lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Another study have found that, for most types of red peppers – which are more ripe than green peppers and generally have more capsaicin – eating them raw or slightly cooked is preferable to preserve their capsaicin, their antioxidants and their vitamin C. If you roast them, however, the other beneficial compounds – polyphenols and flavonoids – males increase.

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These compromises highlight the wisdom of traditional kitchens which involve many ways to prepare peppers, which has increased more advantages. Nguyen, who is Vietnamese, notes that “spicy food in our kitchen takes all the shapes: you cook the peppers, garnish the food with a homemade spicy sauce and garnish with chili oil.”

Balance heat with the flavor

If you don’t like spicy foods, you will probably avoid it, so beneficial. A way to make spicy peppers more pleasant – and less painful – is to balance heat with salt, softness and other flavors.

Mark Sanchez, president of Chile Guy, a company based in San Francisco selling online peppers, thinks that the opposite is also true: bland foods, like natural beans, call a more tasty pepper. He recommends the pepper of the New Mexico and the chipotle as two types which are “really tasty and have a good thermal component”. The high heat, however, does not prevent the flavor; Sanchez appreciates the “unique flavor” of more spicy habanero peppers.

Try to throw the seeds, suggest Sanchez. They do not add flavor and few nutrients while being warmer than the other parts; They are near the placenta of pepper, where capsaicin is concentrated.

Cool the burn

Another strategy to manage more spices: associate it with a healthy fat, which absorbs capsaicin, says Hayes. The best known example is whole milk. Hayes research confirmed its oral fire hose effect.

But his team also discovered that skimmed milk Works as well, probably because fat is just an element of the food that makes up the fire. Protein And a cold temperature aid too.

To combine these factors, try cold guacamole or a vegetable protein shake mixed with linseed oil. Nguyen notes that “spices can be silent with several dairy products” in addition to milk, such as spicy cheese.

Campbell recommends putting slices in olive oil (another source of healthy fats). Refrigerate for a few days to create a spicy cooking oil or a salad drizzle. Xu likes Thai peppers – “tiny but powerful”, he says – and divides them into a dipped sauce several times a week.

Certain pairings can offer synergistic advantages, Laing says: “When capsaicin is associated with foods such as fiber vegetables or probiotics, intestinal health benefits can be improved thanks to an improvement in digestion and absorption of nutrients, and a more diverse microbiota.” She recommends spicy pepper vegetables with Greek yogurt, kefir or sauerkraut.