Chile Peppers Health Article

Capsaicin, an antioxidant in chiles, thwarts food spoilage and may protect blood vessels. It also makes peppers hot—in more ways than one (hence the spicy folklore that piquant peppers rev up sexual desires).

"You do a little dance and then you drink a little water."—The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Are Chiles "PEPPERS"?

Christopher Columbus was confused when he found the New World: he thought he’d landed in Asia. He also assumed that the chiles he discovered in the Americas must be related to the similarly pungent berries of the black pepper plant. He was wrong: chiles are no relation to black pepper. They’re part of the botanical family that includes tomatoes and eggplants. Still, his name stuck. Chiles—from hot habaneros to sweet bells—are still called "peppers."

Soothing Solution

Water won’t extinguish the fiery sensation caused by a too-hot chile: capsaicin doesn’t dissolve in water. Reach for milk: it contains casein, a compound with a chemical structure that attracts capsaicin and pulls it off receptors, much the same way soap lifts grease off your hands.

Burning Fat

Studies show that capsaicin increases the body’s metabolic rate (causing one to burn more calories) and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry. In a 2005 study in the International Journal of Obesity, people ate 16 percent fewer calories at a meal if they’d sipped tomato juice spiked with hot-pepper extract (vs. plain tomato juice) a half hour earlier.

900,000

Heat rating, in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), of the Dorset Naga habanero, the spiciest chile in the world. Scoville Heat Units refer to the level of dilution needed to render a chile’s capsaicin undetectable. Relative ratings: pure capsaicin (16 million SHU), habanero (200,000 SHU), jalapeño (5,000 SHU), sweet bell pepper (0 SHU).

Hurts So Good

Capsaicin triggers the release of Substance P, a neurotransmitter that tells your brain you’re hurting; however, prolonged exposure to capsaicin reduces pain sensitivity (perhaps because Substance P eventually gets depleted). For this reason, capsaicin sometimes is used to soothe arthritis pain. Capsaicin also stimulates the release of endorphins, chemicals that make you feel good. Some say this makes eating chiles addictive.

Resources

Quick and Healthy Recipes and Menus
Garlic-Chile Flank Steak
Heart Healthy Diet Recipes and Menus
Heart Healthy Diet Center