Eating spicy food can make you feel relaxed and nourish you

Adding a spoonful of chili peppers to hot pot creates a fiery, stimulating sensation that makes you sweat, as if all the toxins in your body are being forced out. The aroma of the spicy hot pot enhances the flavors of the ingredients, whetting your appetite. While many believe spicy food can cause internal heat or upset your stomach, numerous studies have shown that choosing the right chili peppers and consuming them correctly are not only harmless but may even contribute to longevity.

Potential benefits of spicy food

When people think of spicy food, they often associate it with Sichuan, Yunnan, or Southeast Asia. These regions are characterized by a generally humid and hot climate. To promote perspiration and maintain circulation, locals traditionally use spicy foods to regulate their constitutions. Taiwan, likewise, has a subtropical climate characterized by both humidity and heat. This, combined with a high intake of sugary drinks and sweets, can lead to a slowed metabolism and the accumulation of dampness in the body.

Chen Wangquan, executive director of the National Federation of Chinese Medicine Practitioners' Associations, noted that in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), consuming too much sugar slows metabolism, and the interplay of dampness and heat can exacerbate internal dampness. In such cases, moderate consumption of spicy foods, such as chili peppers, can promote blood circulation, help dispel dampness, and achieve a certain regulatory effect.

Western Medicine Perspective: Capsaicin's Health Potential

In addition to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), modern Western medicine has also conducted in-depth research on capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient that gives chili peppers their spicy flavor. It not only stimulates the taste buds but also possesses numerous health benefits, including anti-tumor and cardiovascular protection.

As early as the 1990s, scientists began to discover capsaicin's potential anti-cancer mechanisms. Studies have shown that capsaicin can inhibit tumor cell growth, induce apoptosis, and block the formation of new blood vessels and metastasis. For example, a 2004 article in the journal Nature reported that capsaicin can interfere with the cell cycle of cancer cells; a 2011 study in the journal Cell linked capsaicin to hallmark features of cancer; and a 2010 article in the journal Cancer explored capsaicin's inhibitory effects on cancer metastasis.

Many people worry that eating spicy food can damage their stomachs or even cause stomach cancer, but this isn't true. Studies have found that a moderate amount of capsaicin can actually improve blood circulation in the stomach, help repair stomach ulcers, and stimulate the gastric mucosa to secrete protective mucus, reducing the erosion of stomach acid on the stomach wall, thereby protecting the stomach.

The link between spicy food and longevity

In 2015, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a collaborative study by the Peking University School of Public Health and the University of Oxford, which found that people who regularly consumed spicy food had a 14% lower overall risk of death than those who ate less spicy food, including a significantly lower risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease. Another 2019 study suggested that capsaicin may even help inhibit lung cancer metastasis. Jamie Friedman of Marshall University in West Virginia found that feeding capsaicin to mice significantly reduced lung tumor metastasis in an experiment, suggesting that capsaicin may be a future adjunctive treatment strategy for lung cancer.

How to eat spicy food correctly?

However, not all forms of spicy food confer health benefits. The aforementioned study specifically points out that only capsaicin in fresh chili peppers has significant health benefits. Processed products such as commercially available chili sauces and chili oils, due to seasoning or refinement, may not only contain lower capsaicin content but may also contain excessive salt, oil, or additives, which can be detrimental to health.

In addition, fresh peppers are rich inVitamin C, carotene andVitamin B complexThese are important nutrients for boosting immunity and antioxidant capacity. However, these nutrients are easily lost during cooking, so if you want to get the maximum health benefits of peppers, it is recommended to eat them fresh.

It's important to note that spicy food should be consumed within your means. Everyone's body constitution varies, and so does their tolerance for spiciness. Excessive consumption not only fails to improve cancer prevention but can also irritate the gastrointestinal lining, causing discomfort such as heartburn, diarrhea, or indigestion. If you experience discomfort after eating spicy food, drinking some milk can help alleviate it, and adjusting the spiciness level next time to avoid overloading your body.

Conclusion

In summary, chili peppers are not only a great flavor enhancer, but moderate consumption of fresh chili peppers can also offer numerous health benefits, including improved circulation, anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer properties, and even potentially increased longevity. By choosing the right chili peppers for your individual needs and controlling your intake, you can enjoy the thrill of spiciness while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.