Spicy-tasty: Pros And Cons

Spicy lovers should be careful. Spicy food can be useful, but it can also harm health

If you love spices, you always choose the spicy dish at a restaurant, and at home you can't even prepare a dessert without red pepper, then you are doing everything right. And it's not for nothing that they make fun of you and call you Zmi Horynych - scientists believe that spicy dishes prolong life. Of course, not everything is so beautiful, spicy dishes have their dark sides, but the pluses always outweigh the minuses, right?

Why it's good:

Extends life. A study of more than half a million Chinese people over a 7-year period showed that those who ate spicy food 6 times a week were 14% less likely to die prematurely, and those who ate spicy food 2 times a week were 10% less likely to die. % compared to those who do not like spicy.

Reduces weight. It has already been proven that hot pepper reduces appetite and accelerates metabolism. Scientists of Purdue University, Indiana, in 2011, conducted a study and came to the conclusion that people feel fuller after "burning" dishes. Previous experiments have shown that people who eat a lot of spicy food during a meal eat less fat.

Spicy spices also affect metabolism, Dr. is sure. Gregory Torkelson, associate professor of psychiatry and gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh. "That's why we feel hot after spicy dishes. Some evidence suggests that capsaicin (a substance that causes a burning sensation in the mouth) increases the body's ability to burn calories," he says. Another reason for this phenomenon may be that because of smoking in the mouth, we eat more slowly, says Dana Hannes, a senior nutritionist and professor at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles: "If you eat slowly, satiety comes faster." .

Relieves pain. Capsaicin stimulates the body's production of its own chemicals, endorphins, Torkelson says. True, such an effect is observed faster with local external application than with the consumption of spicy food.

It has an anti-inflammatory effect. Research shows that capsaicin can treat autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Torkelson notes that people in countries with spicy cuisine are less prone to these diseases.

Has an antimicrobial effect. Studies show that capsaicin has antibacterial properties and possibly, but to a lesser extent, antifungal properties. That's why hot pepper was often used as a preservative in the past, says Hannes.

Why it's bad:

Causes burns. If the pepper in the dish is too spicy, it can burn the papillae of the tongue, which are responsible for distinguishing tastes, says Hannes. Fortunately, this effect is temporary. "Even if you eat a scotch cap, the hottest type of pepper, and it damages the papillae, they will recover fairly quickly," she says. If it happened that you ate a lot of hot pepper, drink milk, this is the most effective way to "put out the fire" in your mouth. It is important that it is regular milk, not skimmed, because capsaicin binds specifically to fat molecules.

Capsaicin thins the blood. For most people who are generally healthy, spicy food won't hurt, but if you're already taking anticoagulants, capsaicin can make their effects even worse.

Can burn hemorrhoids. One of the unpleasant qualities of capsaicin is that it does not break down in the digestive system and can cause burns. Most likely, nothing terrible will happen inside, but anything can happen on the way out. It can cause especially unpleasant sensations if you have hemorrhoids.