Turn Up The Heat: Spicy Food IS Healthy

For those of you out there like me who love a fiery kick to your food, today is your day. Is your spice cabinet stocked with an abundant variety of ground peppers? How about hot sauce bottles with warning labels? In my kitchen, there is always a way to add a little heat into any and every meal. When you turn up the heat, you turn on the health! Spicy food IS healthy! For those that think adding a little spice to your life isn’t for you … think again! The wonderful little pepper has so many health benefits!

Tara’s Tuesday Tips:

Turn Up The Heat:

Spicy Food IS Healthy

Capsaicin is hands down the MVP in the pepper game. As the key part of the pepper that gives it the spicy taste, this amazing component of the pepper is the “heat” ingredient. It is also the host of all of the healthy properties! Spicy food is healthy thanks to capsaicin. So, let’s season the day + turn up the heat!

Eat Hot Sauce + Live Longer

Put hot sauce on my taco and live longer? OK! According to a 2015 study from the British Journal of Medicine, people eating spicy foods regularly lowered their mortality rate by 14 percent. You can check out the full study here.

Turn Up The Heat + Turn Down The Hunger

Adding spice to your food could help control your cravings + appetite. It has been found that people who eat spicy foods on a regular basis, consume less calories per day. This is especially true for chili pepper powders, hot peppers, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric. Most people feel full sooner when eating these spices! Bonus = spicy foods tend to control sugar cravings.

Peppers For Heart Health

Spicy peppers can block the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol (the bad one). In addition to that, capsaicin helps reduce inflammation. Together, this is a recipe for your daily dose of spice helping to reduce your chance of stroke + heart attack.

Increase Metabolism

When we eat spicy foods, it has been scientifically studied that our metabolic rate goes up. Body temperature, respiration, increased energy expenditure. You know what this means? Faster metabolism = faster weight loss.

Increase Heat + Decrease Cancer Cells

Capsaicin, the “heat” ingredient in peppers, has been found to stop cancer cells from growing + multiplying! This UCLA study specifically shows us how capsaicin inhibits prostate cancer cell growth. Capsaicin is also an antioxidant+ high antioxidant intake is key to cancer prevention.

Spicy Food Is Healthy For Digestion

Contrary to popular belief, eating spicy foods can actually help digestion not hurt it. That magical ingredient, capsaicin, stimulates healthy gut flora production and improves overall health in the gut microbiome.

Fight Infections

Hot peppers help us fight infections a few ways. Firstly, the high antioxidant content helps boost immunity. Second, spicy foods tend to make our noses run. This helps clear congestion. You can even find capsaicin in some nasal sprays!

Hot Topics To Remember

Even the hottest peppers can’t undo the damage from an overall unhealthy diet + lifestyle!

Not all spice is created equal. Whole peppers + dried pepper powders are fabulous! Be wary of packaged hot sauces and seasonings that can be high in sodium + sugar + highly processed artificial ingredients.

If you aren’t used to spicy foods, start slow! Begin to incorporate them in + you will see your tolerance go up.

Be careful when handling fresh peppers. Wear gloves, wash your hands frequently. The seeds + the pepper juices can irritate your skin and your eyes.

Choose organic peppers when you can!