Is there anything healthy about spicy food?!
Is there anything healthy about spicy food?
Answers:
Capsaicin, the compound that gives hot chili peppers their zip, kills cancer cells in a test tube and slows the growth of pancreatic and prostate cancers in mice, two studies show.
A University of Pittsburgh Medical School team led by biochemist Sanjay K. Srivastava implanted pancreatic tumor cells from people into mice. The same day, some of the mice began receiving oral doses of capsaicin while the others got saline solution.
After 38 days, tumors in the capsaicin group were half the size of the tumors in the mice getting saline.
Although spicy, the capsaicin didn't cause any gastrointestinal problems, says Srivastava.
In a similar study, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of California, Los Angeles implanted human prostate-tumor tissue in mice. Some of the animals subsequently received capsaicin orally while others didn't. After 4 weeks, the tumors in mice getting the capsaicin were only one-fourth the size of tumors in the other mice, the scientists report in the March 15 Cancer Research.
The findings are provocative because this particular prostate cancer came from "quite an aggressive cell line;' says study coauthor James O'Kelly, a pathologist. "But we're not advocating that people start eating a lot of hot peppers to treat their prostate cancer;' he says.
Both teams of researchers became interested in capsaicin after Japanese researchers reported 5 years ago that the compound killed leukemia cells in test tubes. Similar lab tests by Srivastava's group indicate that capsaicin induces suicide by tumor cells, while O'Kelly and his colleagues found signs that the compound stifled cell proliferation in some tests and induced cell suicide in others.
Salsa is more than Just a spicy condiment. New research suggests it may also offer protection against Salmonella, the common food borne pathogen that can cause severe sickness and even death.
In preliminary experiments, chemist Isao Kubo of the University of California, Berkeley determined that the juice from salsa, which contains mainly tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and green chilies, has antibacterial properties. Now, reporting in the June Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Kubo and his colleagues have zeroed in on a particular chemical: a compound in fresh cilantro leaves called dodecenal.
After isolating dodecenal, the researchers exposed Salmonella choleraesuis to the compound. Not only did it kill the bacterial cells, but it was twice as potent as gentamicin, a drug commonly used to treat the food borne illness.
The presence of dodecenal in salsa might explain why residents of Mexico don't develop salmonellosis, even though visitors to the country often contract the illness when exposed to Salmonella contaminate food products, says Kubo. Now that scientists know about dodecenal's antibacterial powers, they might use it to develop a new treatment for Salmonella poisonings. Alternatively, Kubo says, dodecenal might find its way into general disinfectants or food additives to prevent the pathogen's transmission.
Source(s):
http://webwonks.org/hobbies/peppers/fact...
I just read that things like red/black/cayenne pepper can actually speed up metabolism.....
But, I'm sure a report will come along in the not-so-distant future that they actually don't....
Then ANOTHER report will come along that says they DO....
And so on, and so on, and so on....
Well, I'm not sure if you consider this "healthy" but it does boost your digestive system, so you digest your food faster.
helps speed up metabolism
it appears they rev up your metabolism and help aid in weight loss. it would be a diet i could never follow as i don't like spicy foods.
spicy food releases 'feel good' chemicals in the brain which is why many people can get addicted to spicy food (mentally not physically). There was a tv program recently about spicy food, which had some more interesting info but i've forgotten it now...
Many types of bright coloured hot chili peppers contains anti-cancer effects.
Eating hot food also boost your mood. That's why there are people who are addicted to curry.
helps with losing weight but it will also make you look old
For me, the answer is "NO", too spicy would hurt my stomach.
It keeps your sinuses clear :) Also, with spicy foods, you tend to eat less of it, so it keeps your portions in control. This is what National Geographic had to say "Sherman's research shows that people in warmer regions of the world benefit from eating spicier foods, because spices are natural antimicrobials." Oh, and you won't have to use salt or other less-healthy things to season your foods.
Not in my opinion
Pain is not enjoyment.
I have never seen any benefit of any of the peppers or radishes or any of the other hot spicy junk other than for some showoff macho n rds.
Just watch children....hot spice is pain.
endurance of pain is masochism.!!
They speed up metabolism which helps you burn more calories.
By spicy do you mean just hot foods or also things without capsaicin (what makes peppers hot) ?
As many people mentioned, hot peppers with capsaicin speed up the metabolism and capsaicin is used to treat pain and inflamation. It is also good for people with ulcers, (contrary to popular belief) and good for your sinuses.
Before refridgeration, many kinds of spices were used to preserve foods.
Other spices with health benefits include tumeric (yellow spice used in mustard and Indian food) which wards off mental decline and cinnamon, which lowers cholesterol and helps regulate blood sugar.
the more spice you add, the less fat you need to make things taste good!