Amid the pandemic of spicy food in the United States, spicy food with chilies and other ingredients has been shown to have health benefits, such as lowering the risk of premature death.
“Spicy foods can burn your tongue and cause stomach pain, but they’re actually good for lifelong health benefits,” said Jaina Metallonis, a nutrition expert at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, USA. can help,” he said.
Capsaicin, a component found in peppers that causes its characteristic heat, is an oil-like chemical compound that binds to pain receptors throughout the tongue and digestive tract. It’s the capsaicin that makes your brain feel like you’re on fire when you chew jalapenos (the very spicy peppers used in Mexican cuisine).
“However, capsaicin doesn’t actually burn you,” said Dr. Metalonis. “Instead, it tricks your brain into thinking that a temperature change has occurred, causing heat and pain. Spicy spices such as runny nose, sweat, tears and drooling are induced. These symptoms are just an attempt to cool the body and get rid of it.”
Studies have shown that while eating spicy foods, your body temperature actually rises in an effort to cool you down. In other words, the feeling that your head is floating and your skin is on fire is not just happening in your head.
Capsaicin doesn’t normally bind to pain receptors in the mouth following regarding 20 minutes, but when it starts to travel through the digestive tract, it creates a whole new set of symptoms. As capsaicin passes, it can cause burning in the chest, hiccups, swelling in the throat, nausea, vomiting, painful bowel movements, and diarrhea.
“But these short-term struggles may be worth it for long-term gains,” experts say. One study found that people who ate spicy foods six times a week had a reduced risk of premature death compared to people who ate spicy foods less than once a week.
Health benefits associated with spicy foods include lowering cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease, improving gastrointestinal and intestinal health and even weight loss. Capsaicin is also a key ingredient in many pain relievers used to treat conditions ranging from arthritis to fibromyalgia to headaches.
“Except for those with poor gut health or sensitive skin, most healthy people don’t pose a serious or lasting risk to their health, even if they eat spicy food,” said Metalonis. It is best to consume it in moderation.”
The study report (Spicy Food Challenges: Harmful or Healthy?) was published by the Cleveland Medical Center in a press release.
Correspondent Kwon Soon-il kstt77@kormedi.com
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