Why is capsaicin good for you

For example, this study found that people who consumed chili pepper four or more times per week over eight years had significantly lower rates of death, including due to cardiovascular disease, compared with people who rarely or never did. One theory attributes it to capsaicin. Capsaicin is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. These findings are intriguing, but not definitive.

The report is an analysis of four large observational studies. So while it describes a link between chili pepper consumption and health benefits, it cannot prove that eating chilis caused this. In fact, chili pepper might actually have little to do with the findings: perhaps people who eat chili peppers are using it to spice up an already healthy diet, and that diet might be responsible for the health benefits. The various studies included in this new report used different types and amounts of chili pepper.

And these findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal; so far, they have only been presented at the American Heart Association meeting. That means the findings should be considered preliminary. In addition, there could be downsides to eating chili pepper. And some past studies have linked chili pepper consumption with gallbladder cancer ; this finding is not definitive either, as it also comes from observational studies.

If you like adding chili pepper to your food, this latest report is reason to continue. Additional research will be needed to confirm that the overall impact on health is positive. And if it is, we need to determine how much chili pepper is best. And does the type of chili pepper matter? How long does it take to see a benefit? For people like me who love spicy foods, this news about chili pepper is welcome.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. More than two-thirds of US adults are overweight or obese. There are many factors that can contribute to weight gain. Capsaicin may help boost your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories both at rest and during exercise — meaning you might be able to lose weight more easily.

When you apply that same sensation to the nerves on your hands and feet, it can make those nerves lose their feeling for extended periods of time, combating pain. When used as a lotion or other topical cream, capsaicin causes a slight feeling of heat, stinging, and itching. Your taste buds and your gut may be more connected than you think. When you bite into a pepper, the capsaicin attaches to a receptor that communicates with other cells. That same receptor is found in your digestive tract.

Get a Second Opinion. MyChart UChicago Medicine. Care Connection Ingalls. For help with Ingalls Care Connection, call us at or email portalsupport ingalls. Patients often tell me they've giving up spicy foods to get healthy. When my wife and I let our kids eat something spicy, my in-laws shake their heads at us. However, last time I checked, having a little Tabasco sauce won't ruin your life. In this post, I want to shed some evidence-based light on eating spicy foods to separate fact from fiction.

Capsaicinoids, which include the compound capsaicin, are the chemical components of peppers that create their spicy taste. Research over the past couple of decades has demonstrated that capsaicinoids — and thus, spicy foods — also possess several health benefits.

As a gastroenterologist, I diagnose people with ulcers all the time. When I tell someone they have an ulcer after a procedure, almost everyone is quick to blame spicy foods.

Contrary to popular belief, multiple studies show that capsaicin actually inhibits acid production in the stomach. As a matter of fact, capsaicin has been considered as a medication for preventing ulcer development in people who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

In , in a study published in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum , researchers randomly assigned people with large hemorrhoids to taking a placebo capsule or a capsule of red hot chili powder. The participants had to rate the effects of the pills on their hemorrhoid symptoms. The study found that the spicy capsules had no effect on hemorrhoid symptoms. The story is a little different for people with small tears in the anus called anal fissures.

A study in demonstrated that spicy foods aggravate symptoms associated with anal fissures. In the study, patients were randomly given a week of placebo and a week of chili pepper capsules. They had to keep track of anal fissure symptoms over the study period. Eighty-one percent of the participants felt better on the placebo. It can, according to a meta-analysis of 90 different studies that looked at the role of capsaicin in weight management.

The analysis found spicy foods reduce appetite and that they increase energy expenditure. So, yes! Spicy food can help with weight loss. Some of the hot sauces are more than times hotter than Tabasco sauce. It was one of those sauces that comes with a warning label.

On the show, they dabbed a wing in one drop of the sauce. I foolishly poured a small amount on an organic tortilla chip it was more than a dab. The first bite was cool. I felt some heat with the second bite.