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Too long to look at
Eating spicy does have health benefits such as pain relief, weight loss, and regulation of cardiovascular health.
Excessive spicosis may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, mouth ulcers, skin allergies, asthma and other problems.
If you like to eat, eat in moderation and avoid heavy oil and salt when cooking.
On a dark and depressed Monday, we talk about a brightly colored topic.
When the weather is cold, people will want to eat something that makes people feel warm, such as fresh and hot hot pot, red and plump hair and blood.
This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine says: It's very scientific.
It should be known that the spicy and high temperatures (> 43 °C) activate the same pain receptor (TRPV1), which transmits "hot" and "pain" signals to the temperature center and pain center of the brain.
"Spicy" as a representative taste of heavy taste, many times everyone feels that it is not very healthy, but many friends have heard that people who eat chili peppers live longer...
Is the health effect of chili pepper positive or negative?
Eating spicy does reduce the risk of death
A systematic review and meta-analysis study published in Circulation, a top medical journal published by the American Heart Association in 2020, found that cayenne pepper intake was associated with reductions in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. [1]
The researchers screened four observational studies from nearly 7,000 literature, namely from Four countries, namely China (chili type: fresh chili pepper, dried chili pepper, chili sauce, chili oil), the United States (chili type: red pepper type), Italy (chili type: chili pepper), and Iran (chili type: black pepper or chili pepper), and after summarizing and analyzing the research data of more than 570,000 people, they found that compared with people who never ate spicy, people who ate spicy regularly (at least once a month) ate spicy:
25% reduction in all-cause mortality;
Cardiovascular mortality was reduced by 26%;
Cancer mortality was reduced by 23%.
Image from: References[1]
The magical effect of capsaicin
Bringing about these health benefits is the active substance in chili peppers, capsaicin, which is why chili peppers are "spicy".
Cardiovascular disease is known to be an important cause of death.
Capsaicin, on the other hand, activates capsaicin receptors (i.e. TRPV1):
It can increase thermogenesis, fat metabolism and other energy-consuming processes, helping to reduce weight loss, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A variety of neuropeptides are released, among which calcitonin gene-related peptides (CGRP) and P substance have the effect of protective regulation of cardiovascular and myocardial infarction, and they also have the effect of vasodilation, natriuretic diuresis, thereby countering the rise in blood pressure. [1,2]
Chemical structure of capsaicin. Image courtesy of https://www.me-pedia.org/images/thumb/7/74/Capsaicin_peppers.png/1200px-Capsaicin_peppers.png
It is too early to say that eating spicy longevity is too early
Spicy eating is indeed associated with reductions in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but it is too early to say that spicy eaters live longer.
First, the study lacked accurate data on how, how, how, and how often peppers were ingested, resulting in data that could not be standardized.
Second, the control group and the trial group have different populations, and individual differences between groups may be large.
Finally, research methods can also bring bias. In the case of the Chinese studies cited, the study removed the subjects with cancer and cardiovascular disease from the beginning, and the sample population left behind may have their own "relatively healthy" living habits, so as to offset the harm of "heavy oil and heavy salt" that is usually accompanied by peppers and benefit from the benefits of peppers.
Other health benefits of chili peppers
In addition to reducing all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, previous studies have shown that capsaicin also brings a number of other health benefits.
It is both "addictive" and pain-relieving
Studies have demonstrated that capsaicin receptors are involved in heat transfer processes and the production of pain sensations.
Low doses of capsaicin act on capsaicin receptors and activate chemically sensitive and heat-sensitive receptors, creating pain. Our brains mistakenly believe that the body is injured and begin to secrete endorphins continuously, bringing excitement and pleasure to us, so that we can "ache and be happy". This is also the reason why some people are "addicted" to spicy food.
Large doses of capsaicin bind to capsaicin receptors, but will desensitize the receptors and no longer play a role, thus playing a role in pain relief.
Practical application of pain relief
The U.S. FDA approved an 8% capsaicin patch in 2008 for the treatment of pathological neuropathic pain caused by postherpetic neuralgia, and in 2020 approved it for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the feet of adult patients.
But the consequence of blindly applying chili peppers is likely to not only not stop the pain, but also make you more painful, and even cause some other problems.
Eating spicy food in women can prevent high blood pressure
In July 2021, a research team of Professor Li Liming of the School of Public Health of Peking University analyzed data from nearly 54,000 people in Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province, and found that after correcting factors such as lifestyle, body mass index, waist circumference, and sleep duration,[3]
Compared with women who never ate spicy foods, women who ate 1-2 times a week and 3 times ≥ had a 10% and 12% lower risk of developing high blood pressure, respectively;
The more times a woman eats spicy foods each week, the more pronounced the drop in systolic and diastolic blood pressure becomes.
However, the health benefit of eating spicy to prevent high blood pressure is only seen in women and is not observed in men...
It should be noted that for the efficacy of capsaicin, only pain relief research has entered clinical applications, and other studies such as cardiovascular protection, prevention of hypertension, regulation of blood sugar, protection of gastric mucosa and other studies are in the basic research stage, and there is still a long way to go from real clinical treatment.
Health problems posed by chili peppers
Chili peppers don't all have the benefits, but they also bring a range of health problems.
Cheng also capsaicin, defeat also capsaicin
Capsaicin activates capsaicin receptors and brings many health benefits, but this process can also cause a range of health problems.
Stimulates the gastrointestinal tract
Capsaicin transmits false information about injuries to the brain through capsaicin receptors, causing a burning sensation in the esophagus and stomach, and even causing stomach pain.
Small doses of capsaicin promote gastrointestinal motility and protect the damaged gastric mucosa, while large doses inhibit gastrointestinal motility and aggravate the formation of gastric mucosal damage.
The sensitivity of pepper receptors is high and low, and everyone may react differently by consuming the same capsaicin.
Like me, when I eat spicy, I have diarrhea, but some people are constipated as soon as they eat spicy.
In addition, the mucosa also has capsaicin receptors, if you eat too much spicy, the next day you can only chant a song chrysanthemum residue...
Therefore, people with hemorrhoids and perianal diseases are not recommended to eat spicy
Causes mouth ulcers and skin problems
Capsaicin receptors release a variety of neuropeptides after activation, which regulates cardiovascular and blood pressure at the same time, but also causes vasodilation, increased permeability, the formation of edema, an increase in blood flow to the skin and mucous membranes, coupled with the release of inflammatory factors, which can easily trigger neurogenic inflammation.
As soon as you eat spicy hot pot, your skin will be red and itchy and hot, which may be neurogenic inflammation at work.
People who have skin diseases themselves are often told by doctors not to eat spicy, because the above process will aggravate the existing disease.
The direct stimulation of capsaicin on the oral mucosa, coupled with mucosal edema, can also easily lead to swollen gums and pain, and even induce mouth ulcers.
Induces asthma
Capsaicin receptors are not only responsible for helping capsaicin transmit pain, but also participate in the process of regulating cough and asthma.
Therefore, patients with respiratory diseases such as chronic cough and bronchiectasis are best not to eat spicy, which may induce asthma.
Eating spicy reduces cognitive ability, and thinner is more pronounced
In addition to the health effects of the two sides of capsaicin, a 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients, after tracking more than 3,000 Chinese adults for 15 years, found that adults eating more spicy (fresh peppers, dried peppers) were associated with cognitive decline, and thinners were more pronounced.
In particular, people who ate more than 50 grams of chili peppers per day, after adjusting for age, gender, other dietary factors and living habits, socioeconomic status and other factors, compared with those who did not eat spicy, they reported poor self-memory by 112% and memory loss by 56%. [4]
However, the researchers are unclear about the specific mechanisms that cause this phenomenon and need to be further studied. In addition, whether reducing cayenne pepper intake can slow down cognitive decline has also yet to be tested.
Chili, how to eat?
In terms of nutrient composition, peppers are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and β-carotene, as well as a variety of antioxidants and dietary fiber, and the nutritional value is still good if cooked properly.
However, considering most of the cases, chili peppers are used as spices or side dishes in the cooking process, the dosage is small, and there is nothing special in terms of pure nutritional value, and there is no reason not to eat or not to eat.
Moreover, in our traditional cooking methods, spicy is often associated with heavy oil and heavy salt, and it is not healthy.
In addition, chili peppers, especially capsaicin, are a good thing when consumed in moderation. Excessive dosage can also cause corresponding health problems.
In general, people who love spicy can continue to eat, but pay attention to cooking methods, try to avoid heavy oil and heavy salt and eat too much at one time, after all, there is a limit to the tolerance of people who can eat spicy.
People who don't like to eat don't have to force themselves to try for the so-called health benefits.
Can you eat spicy? What is your reaction after eating spicy?
Resources
[1] Kaur Manpreet,Verma R Beni,Zhou Leon,Kaur Simrat,Sammour Yasser,Lak Mehmood Hassan,Xu Bo. Abstract 12729: Impact of Chilli-pepper Intake on All-cause and Cardiovascular Mortality - A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis[J]. Circulation,2020,142(Suppl_3 Suppl 3):
Yang Feng,Peng Yan. Clinical application progress of capsaicin[J].Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology,2016,28(02):129-132.
[3] Wang Hao,Chen Lingli,Shen Dun,Cao Yuan,Zhang Xiaoyi,Xie Kaixu,Wang Chunmei,Zhu Shuiqing,Pei Pei,Guo Yu,Bragg Fiona,Yu Min,Chen Zhengming,Li Liming. Association between frequency of spicy food consumption and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang Province, China. [J]. Nutrition & metabolism,2021,18(1):
[4] Zumin Shi,Tahra El-Obeid,Malcolm Riley,Ming Li,Amanda Page,Jianghong Liu. High Chili Intake and Cognitive Function among 4582 Adults: An Open Cohort Study over 15 Years[J]. Nutrients,2019,11(5):