But can this burnin’ hot compound really burn fat? Cure cancer? Ease pain? Here’s what we currently know about the potential health benefits of the active components in spicy sauce.
How does capsaicin relieve pain?
Capsaicin is used to relieve joint pain for people with arthritis or fibromyalgia; nerve pain from shingles, diabetes or other skin conditions; and muscle or back pain. Here’s how it works—when you apply capsaicin to your skin, it can reduce your body’s amount of substance P, the chemical that delivers pain signals to your brain. Less substance P means fewer pain messages reaching your brain, which can help relieve the sensation of pain.
Capsaicin, the spicy compound found in chili peppers, is the key to making all hot sauces ‘hot’.
Can it help you lose weight?
You can help burn calories by working up a sweat, both at the gym and maybe even modestly during a meal, according to researchers at University of Wyoming. Their findings, based on a study on mice, show that dietary capsaicin may ward off weight gain. Other research shows that consuming capsaicin may stimulate fat oxidation and reduce appetite, which can aid in weight loss. But don’t start popping peppers in place of exercise and a nutritious diet; these theories have not yet been supported in long-term human trials to be considered fact.
How about capsaicin preventing cancer?
There have been many laboratory studies on chili peppers ability to fight off cancer cells in many cancer-affected organs. In a review published in The Journal of Cancer Research and Treatment, researchers say that capsaicin may promote anti-cancer activity by stopping cell growth, causing some cells to die, and slowing or preventing cancer from spreading. Another study, published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry , found that the capsaicin binds to membranes near the surface of cancer cells, and causes the membranes that surround and protect the cells to come apart. Further research is needed before experts can fully understand the possible effects of capsaicin on cancer prevention and treatment.
Does eating capsaicin lengthen your lifespan?
Spice up your diet and you just might lower your chance of death. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Vermont observed more than 16,000 people in the U.S. for nearly 20 years and found that consuming hot red chili peppers was linked with a 13% reduction in the risk of death. Another study published in the British Medical Journal also found a link between self-reported regular consumption of spicy foods and a reduced mortality rate. While the available data suggested chili pepper consumption was associated with reducing the risk of death from cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory problems, researchers are unable to pinpoint the exact reason why peppers may have this effect. Further examination is needed, but these studies suggest there could potentially be a link between chili peppers and a lower risk for specific causes of death.
Sources:
1. University of Maryland Medical Center http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/cayenne
