Both the tolerance and preference for spicy foods and chili peppers varies from person to person (personally, I cannot handle the heat, though I do like the taste). However, recent research suggests that spicy foods may have more than just a taste benefit for those who consume them.
Spicy foods, particularly chili peppers, contain the chemical ingredient capsaicin. Capsaicin targets the receptor TRPV1, which is highly expressed in the taste buds. Many will say that the enjoyment of spicy foods can be attributed to an “endorphin rush” that is caused by the burning sensation of capsaicin. However, there is actually little empirical evidence that supports this idea (Spence, 2018).
Instead, what is being suggested more and more lately is that spicy food and capsaicin can have biological health benefits. Studies have found that regularly eating spicy foods is associated with decreases in cardiovascular mortality and increases in metabolism (Ao et al., 2022), potentially due to the activation of pain and thermoregulatory responses such as sweating.
Further, it was found that capsaicin may have clinical potential in treating autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis (Deng et al., 2016). Treatment with capsaicin in rats has been shown to reduce levels of neuropeptides that are known to induce inflammatory responses associated with arthritis (Ahmed, 1995). Thus, there may be an ethical consideration necessary in how further research is conducted, specifically by pharmaceutical companies if they are hoping to sell capsaicin in products. It is important the the research remain unbiased and accessible to ensure that it maintains justice.
For those of you who like spicy foods, lucky you! You might be receiving some health benefits along with those hot peppers! (And for those of you like me who don’t, don’t worry, you can still get health benefits from eating well and exercising.)
References
Ao, Z., Huang, Z., & Liu, H. (2022). Spicy Food and Chili Peppers and Multiple Health Outcomes: Umbrella Review. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2200167.
Ahmed, M., Bjurholm, A., Srinivasan, G. R., Lundeberg, T., Theodorsson, E., Schultzberg, M., & Kreicbergs, A. (1995). Capsaicin effects on substance P and CGRP in rat adjuvant arthritis. Regulatory peptides, 55(1), 85-102.
Deng, Y., Huang, X., Wu, H., Zhao, M., Lu, Q., Israeli, E., ... & Shoenfeld, Y. (2016). Some like it hot: The emerging role of spicy food (capsaicin) in autoimmune diseases. Autoimmunity Reviews, 15(5), 451-456.
Spence, C. (2018). Why is piquant/spicy food so popular?. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 12, 16-21.
Kaylee, I love this post. I never would have thought about writing about the benefits of eating spicy food. I stand in the middle of this conversation; sometimes, I like a little extra heat and other times, I can do without it. After reading your post, I went into a deep dive and I could not find much about the association between the resulting increase in metabolism due to consuming capsaicin. I did, however, stumble upon an article that discussed the association between spicy foods and cardiovascular disease risk factors as well as the demographic of people who tend to consume spicy foods the most. The researchers in this study found that “chili pepper intake was associated with significantly lower risks of obesity, cardiovascular mortality, and cerebrovascular mortality”. In addition to this, they found that the people that most often eat spicy food are young men who were current smokers and alcohol users. I think that these findings were very interesting. Coming from a Mexican family, a lot of the dishes that we eat have some sort of spice component in them. However, the people that eat it the most are my grandparents, my parents, and my aunts and uncles. My cousins usually stay away from the spicy foods, which is inconsistent with these findings. This study was conducted in China, so I am curious as to what the results would look like in other demographics.
ReplyDeleteZhang, Y., Lu, Z. L., Zhang, W. S., Jin, Y. L., Zhu, T., & Xu, L. (2022, June 30). Association between spicy foods consumption and cardiovascular disease risk factors: Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study - BMC Public Health. BioMed Central. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13697-6#:~:text=Our%20study%20showed%20that%20higher,be%20determined%20in%20further%20studies.
Hi Kaylee!
ReplyDeleteI found this post really interesting, I like that you took something so simple and common that people eat and see its health benefits. I eat quite a bit of spicy food, so this caught my eye. I tried to think of the most common spice that I use when I cook, and I would say red pepper, so I dove a little deeper to see if there are specific studies looking at those. I found one study that talked about how consuming red pepper promotes energy balance (Ludy 2011). They measured things like core body and skin temperature, appetite, and energy expenditure. They also compared the different oral delivery methods; capsule, ingested form (Ludy 2011). They found the people who ate red pepper had a lower respiratory quotient when the pepper was ingested orally compared to a capsule form.
Finally, they showed that red pepper affects the energy balance, because of metabolic and sensory inputs, as well as oral delivery is key to maintaining the full benefits (Ludy 2011). Interestingly they found a connection with eating spicy foods decreases the desire to consume fatty, sweet, and salty foods (Ludy 2011).
Ludy, M. J., & Mattes, R. D. (2011). The effects of hedonically acceptable red pepper doses on thermogenesis and appetite. Physiology & behavior, 102(3-4), 251–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.11.018
Hello! I found this to be very interesting especially since I love spicy foods (I cannot handle them very well and I suffer while eating them, but I still love them). I was wondering if other types of spices, not just spicy ones, have health benefits as well. I found out that they do. Even the simplest spice black pepper (Piper Nigrum L.) has health benefits (Butt et al., 2013). According to an article I found black pepper has been proven to work as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and as an anti-inflammatory (Butt et al., 2013). Additionally, black pepper has been also shown to help with gastro-intestinal issues as well as act as an antidepressant in some ways (Butt et al., 2013). All of these findings were in cell cultures and animal models (Butt et al., 2013). Knowing this about black pepper and about spicy foods, I think it is a good idea for personal health and for my enjoyment to season our food!
ReplyDeleteButt, M. S., Pasha, I., Sultan, M. T., Randhawa, M. A., Saeed, F., & Ahmed, W. (2013). Black pepper and health claims: a comprehensive treatise. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 53(9), 875–886. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1080/10408398.2011.571799
Kalyee! I thought this was a fun topic to talk about because I feel like when I am sick I always go to eat a bowl of spicy soup to “kill the bacteria” and typically I do feel better. However, I have never really looked into whether there is scientific evidence for spicy food increasing an immune response or have antimicrobial properties. I looked to see if there is any research behind spicy food and the immune response. It was found that a lot of spicy foods increase the function of the immune response by supplying vitamins necessary for proper immune cell functions (Dini, 2021). For example, tabasco includes a lot of fats that help break the pathogen membrane and vitamins B, C, E, A which are essential for some immune cell function, like CD8+ T cells (Dini, 2021).
ReplyDeleteDini, I., & Laneri, S. (2021). Spices, condiments, extra virgin olive oil and aromas as not only flavorings, but precious allies for our wellbeing. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(6) doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10060868