If you can’t get enough spicy food, you’re in luck!
It turns out there may be yet another reason to put more hot peppers in your diet. According to researchers, the capsaicin in hot peppers could be responsible for helping you lose weight and possibly even help prevent colorectal cancer. A few years ago, researchers found capsaicin was able to activate a receptor called Trpv1 on cells that make up a person’s intestinal lining. This type of reaction could lead to a reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer. While that’s certainly a big plus for your future health, it’s not the only perceived benefit of consuming capsaicin.
It's also thought capsaicin has natural thermogenic properties.
When you eat it, your body heat increases, you use energy, and you start burning fat. When you’re able to burn off more calories, you’re better able to lose weight, or maintain the weight you want. That’s good news if you’ve been through all the different diets out there and just can’t seem to make anything work. Losing weight and possibly helping reduce your risk of developing cancer are certainly two big benefits, but they’re hardly the only health benefits likely tied to consuming hot peppers and capsaicin.
That’s great news if you want to stay healthy, but you also don’t want to give up on all the spicy flavors.
Of course, to stay healthy, it’s important not to overdo it. High doses, even of a good thing, could be too much. There are also some people who suffer from health conditions that make spicy food less tolerable. If there’s any question, it’s probably a good idea to talk to your doctor first. Of course, assuming eating spicy food is good for you, why not be a little adventurous in sampling the different options on the hot pepper scale.