Whether you want to battle the harsh temperatures of winter or embracing sweltering summer days, spicy foods are always interesting. The popularity of spicy foods has risen in recent years. Sizzling hot peppers can do so much more than turn up the heat on some of your favorite foods and make them scrumptious. Spicy foods offer many benefits to human health, which include:
1. Weight Loss
A study from the University of Purdue found that participants who ate a diet of spicy foods burned more calories than the control group, which ate mostly non-spicy foods. The group that ate the spicy food reported feeling less hungry and craved less for sweet, salty, or high-fat foods. Another study out of Canada found that participants who put ate appetizers with hot sauce took in fewer calories than their peers who didn’t do hot-sauce. The compounds in chile peppers known as Capsinoids also stimulate brown fat production, which boosts metabolism.
Past studies have found that spicy food can help to suppress your appetite. Researchers believe capsaicin in chiles is responsible for the thermogenic effect produced in the body after a meal. Eating spicy foods has been shown from several studies to bolster your metabolism in the short term by raising fat burning.
2. Give You A Healthy Heart
In cultures where spicy foods are commonly eaten, people don’t suffer from many cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and strokes. The capsaicin in hot peppers and sauces reduces chronic inflammation, a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Another function of capsaicin is to prevent cholesterol accumulation in the body by increasing how fast it breaks down. Adding more chile pepper to your dishes can lower the risk of heart diseases by reducing your body’s LDL cholesterol damage. Also, a specific gene is blocked by capsaicin, which forces the narrowing of arteries, thereby causing an increase in the speed of flow within blood vessels.
3. It is a Cancer Killer
The American Assoc. for Cancer Research announced that capsaicin, responsible for chile peppers’ signature heat, can destroy some cancer cells, especially leukemia cells. The spice turmeric found in some mustard and curry powder and its vibrant color can slow down cancerous tumors’ growth rate. Different studies have attributed this to curcumin, a bioactive compound found in turmeric. Adding turmeric with freshly ground black pepper boosts its bioavailability, thus increasing these powerful health benefits.
4. A Longer Life
While many factors contribute to the length of life, you can be excited about spicy foods because they can add years to your life. A study between Harvard School of Public Health and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences studied the diets of more than 500,000 participants over five years and discovered that those who consumed spicy foods many times every week had a lower percentage of dying early than those who did less frequently.
5. Reduces Your Blood Pressure
Spicy foods can lower blood pressure as the heat boosts blood flow throughout your body, and vitamin A and vitamin C help increase your heart’s muscular strength.
6. Boosts Memory & Mood
Curcumin, detected in turmeric, which gives curry powder its color, can improve memory function and mood. There is also a black pepper component that acts as a diuretic, which reduces bloat and dampens your spirit.
7. Stress Buster
When you eat spicy foods, there is an increase in the production of feel-good hormones in your body, such as serotonin, to limit the pain experienced from the heat, causing to relieve stress.
8. Congestion Relief
Do you notice that when you eat spicy stuff, your nose starts to drip? The capsaicin in hot peppers is very similar to a chemical compound found in decongestant medicines.
9. Derail Diabetes
Eating hot chilies regularly has been found to reduce your body’s insulin requirements, thus reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes.
10. Pauses pain
Capsaicin in chilies reduces inflammation and pain by draining the quantity of substance P in nerve cells responsible for carrying pain signals to the brain. It also desensitizes your skin’s sensory receptors, which is why it is the main ingredient found in pain-relieving creams.
11. Spicy Food Speeds Up Your Metabolism
Data from many studies indicate that eating certain spices like cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, peppers, and chilies can boost your metabolic resting rate and slowing down your appetite. Although the effect is mild, putting cinnamon on your roll may not aid in weight loss, but if you reached the plateau of your weight loss journey, spicing it up can be a good thing to try.
12. Spices combat inflammation
Curcumin is the property in turmeric may help to reduce inflammation in the body. The anti-inflammatory relief in ginger and garlic have been used for hundreds of years to treat conditions such as arthritis, autoimmune disorders, headaches, and nausea.
Recipes To Spice Up Your Life
Knowing some of the health benefits of spicy foods, you can rev up your health by trying out some of these recipes.
Spicy Avocado Toast with Egg
If an easy spicy meal substitute is what you are looking for, a spicy avocado toast with an egg is a great choice.
Cinnamon Spice Pepitas
For healthy snacking, combine spice, protein, and healthy fats. A simple cinnamon spice pepitas are a great choice.
Turmeric Iced Tea With Lemon Ginger
When you feel ill, the last thing you’d want to do is spend plenty of time cooking or eating heavily. A refreshing and delicious lemon, ginger, turmeric ice tea offering spicy benefits is a great choice.
Cumin Rice
When you feel under the water or need a fantastic side dish to your main fare, this cumin recipe is flavorful and mild to sensitive stomachs. It is a total bargain.