The health benefits of consuming chillies
While chilli peppers are
great to eat, it is also widely accepted that there are a number of health
benefits to consuming them. On the
most basic level we are all aware of the feeling of pleasure, and even euphoria,
we get after eating a hot and spicy meal or snack containing chilli. This is due to the effects of
capsaicin, the active chemical component in the chilli pepper. It is believed that the consumption of
capsaicin evokes the pain-stimulated
release of the body’s natural endorphins, which are similar to opiates, which
are widely used, in strong painkillers such as morphine and codeine, and the
illegal drug heroin.
Capsaicin itself is used
as a local painkiller in the form of creams and patches that are particularly
useful in the treatment of nerve pain, such as that experienced in shingles and
some arthritic joint pain.
Another benefit that is
obvious to us all is that of a decongestant. We have all experienced the
effects of eating a hot curry when we have been suffering from a heavy cold. This can simply be by the opening up of
swollen nasal passages through heavy breathing and panting, or through the
stimulation of excess mucous production, which allows us to have jolly good
blow!
It is the pain-relieving
and decongestant properties of capsaicin that have led to its use as a relaxant
for people suffering from migraine and sinus congestion headaches.
It is also claimed that
capsaicin has a role in weight loss and weight control in that, as a
thermogenic (heat producing) compound, it increases the bodies metabolic rate
which in turn increases the bodies ability to burn fat. Research suggests that eating chillies
can increase the average metabolic rate by around 25% and that this effect can
last for several hours.
Less obvious, more
significant and therefore more controversial health benefits include be a role
in the regulation of blood sugars, cholesterol lowering and anticoagulation. In this context capsaicin could have
benefits in the treatment of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
It has also been suggests
that capsaicin may even have a role in the treatment and prevention of certain
cancers. Observational,
epidemiogical studies have demonstrated a potential protective effect against stomach
cancer. Another study has raised
the possibility that capsaicin might slow the spread of prostate cancer cells,
and thus reduce the growth rate of prostate tumours.
More research is clearly
needed in these areas but the potential medicinal uses for capsicum appear to
be far reaching.
