Surprising Health Perks
Banish Migraines
- Spray hot pepper up your nose even though it may sting.
- But it also may stop your migraine pain.
- The spray has a special formula of capsaicin, a chemical in the part of the pepper that
holds the seeds. - It numbs your brain’s trigeminal nerve, where some migraines & severe headaches start.
- Seven out of 10 people in a study who had cluster, tension & other headaches had total
relief for a while. - All said the sharp tingle was worth it.
Extend Your Life
- Pop a pepper, and you might live longer.
- One large study showed that adults who ate at least one fresh or dried hot red chili pepper
a month for almost 20 years lowered their chances of death by 13%. - Researchers aren’t sure why, but they think some credit may be due to the peppers’
nutrients & their power to fight inflammation & obesity.
Clear a Runny Nose
- Got a sneezy, runny, or stopped-up nose that your doctor calls non-allergic rhinitis?
- That’s when your nose runs constantly but it’s not from a cold, allergies or cigarette smoke.
- If so, then a whiff of capsaicin may help calm your symptoms.
- It’ll smart at first & may even seem to worsen your misery.
- But capsaicin will kick in soon after.
- Your stuffiness might not bother you for a few months.
Speed Metabolism
- The total-body flush you sense when you eat a hot pepper is more than a feeling.
- Capsaicin, the chemical behind the zing, amps up the rate at which your whole body
heats up. - It also activates a sensory neuron called TRPV1, which helps keep fat from building up &
controls your appetite. - This metabolism-quickening combo might help you lose weight.
- Researchers hope to apply this knowledge to curb weight gain.
Scramble Pain Signals
- Capsaicin triggers a heat sensation to nerve cells that normally yell: 'Pain!'
- The message to your brain reads: 'Hot!'
- This signal-switch trick has been used for centuries to help control pain.
Soothe Arthritis
- Capsaicin is the super ingredient in many creams, lotions & patches that bring
on heat to quickly quash pain. - In one study, it cut discomfort from arthritis & fibromyalgia by half in just a few weeks.
- Results from other studies were less convincing, suggesting capsaicin works best when
coupled with another pain reliever. - Either way, you need to reapply it often.
Fight Cancer
- In the lab, capsaicin seems to kill cells linked to more than 40 types of cancer, including
the colon, liver, lung, pancreatic cancers & leukemia. - The spicy chemical changes how some genes linked with cancer cells act & even stops
them from growing. - But other research suggests capsaicin itself may be linked to cancer.
- More studies are needed.
Preserve Food
- Hot peppers are natural antimicrobials.
- That means they kill germs & other microorganisms that can spoil canned or packaged
foods. - Manufacturers are testing to see if chili pepper extracts could be a better choice than
artificial preservatives.
Boost Your Body
- Fiery peppers pack major health perks.
- In terms of vitamin C, they beat oranges 3 to 1.
- They’re also stuffed with vitamins A, B & E.
- Some studies suggest capsaicin acts as an antioxidant to protect your cells & helps tamp
down inflammation.
Watch the Names
- Chile is Spanish for pepper.
- In Mexico, a chile can be any kind of pepper, even mild or sweet.
- But almost anywhere else, chile or chili means hot.
- Varieties of hot pepper include Anaheim, cayenne, habanero, jalapeno, paprika, Tabasco
& some bell peppers. - If you see a scary name like Ghost, Scorpion, or Reaper, it means beware.
How Hot Is Hot?
- Hot peppers have their own rankings.
- The Scoville heat scale rates the capsaicin level based on how much sugar water it takes
to neutralize the heat. - It ranges from 0 to 1,641,183 Scoville heat units (SHU).
- The top score is for the Carolina Reaper, the hottest pepper on earth.
- Buying tips: Dried peppers are hotter than fresh. The thinner the stem, usually the hotter
the pepper.
Snack Attacks
- Super-spicy snacks are scorching the snack scene.
- But too much hot pepper can give you belly pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or a burning feeling in your gut.
- Even kids are ending up in the ER after too much munching.
- A safer way to kick up your flavor is to sprinkle a little hot pepper on popcorn or sweet
potato fries.
Pepper Prep
- A dash of peppers can go on just about any dish.
- Keep a bag of frozen chopped or sliced peppers on standby to add instant color & flavor
to any meal. - Dice fresh peppers to dress up pizza & pasta.
- You can also grill or roast them for a change of taste.
- Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling superhot peppers like jalapeno & serrano.
- Remove the seeds to tone down the temp.
Capsaicin 911
- You’ll know right away if you have a brush with the hot stuff.
- It can even trigger your asthma if you inhale it.
- If you eat a real flamer, skip the water & take small sips of milk or reach for the ice cream
or cottage cheese. - Water doesn’t dissolve capsaicin, but milk fat does.
- If you don’t do dairy, eat a piece of bread or other starchy food.
- If it gets on your skin or in your eyes, flush well with warm water.
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