Hot peppers are a thermogenic superfood! Their heat actually speeds up your metabolism! The hot stuff in these red-hot goodies is known as capsaicin. Capsaicin has a multitude of health empowering effects including reduction of levels of substance P in ones body. This is crucially important since substance P is the physiologic compound that triggers inflammation and pain.
While eating red-hot peppers might well burn your tongue, they can cool aches and pains through the interruption of pain perceptions elsewhere in your body. This occurs via capsaicin triggering the body’s release of endorphins. Endorphins are produced by the pituitary and hypothalamous (endocrine or hormone master glands in the brain) in response to pain, exercise, excitement, arousal, love, orgasm and pepper eating! They resemble opiates (like morphine) in their physiologic action and abilities to reduce perceptions of pain and promote feelings of wellbeing.
Red-hot peppers also contain salicylates, like the willow, which is where aspirin originates. All that goodness AND they are chock-full of vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant pigments, in particular the red ones.
So eat up when it comes to these red-hot superfoods superstars!
Recent Comments