Eating Healthy With Chili Peppers: Five Benefits of the Pungent Pods

Adding chili peppers to your cooking brings flavor and fire without boosting the calories, and it is a great and healthy way to spice up your meal plan.  But this is not just a tasty, low-cal trick for kicking up your dishes, there are actually plenty of health benefits that come from chili peppers.  Here are five advantages to eating the pungent pods and including them in your cooking, all of which promote a healthy diet:

May Boost Metabolism and Support Weight Management

Here’s the science of it: capsaicin–the compound that gives chili peppers their heat–has been shown to favorably influence metabolism and fat oxidation. Some evidence suggests capsaicin may help with metabolic syndrome and lower obesity prevalence. Basically, capsaicin may help your body burn calories faster, and that is definitely a good thing. If you regularly work chilis into your diet, that may help to defer weight gain because of the increased metabolism. This may vary from person to person, but your local health food store sells cayenne capsules which are promoted as helping to increase fat burning along with other benefits. And if you just go to the source and eat the chili peppers themselves, you can get similar results.

However, there is one thing to take into account here. Eating spicy food can be addictive, and that may make you want to eat more. I know when I am eating something that brings good heat, I typically want to keep chowing down, and then I may also eat something afterwards to temper the burn like a tortilla with butter on it. So be careful because if you go overboard, it offsets the benefit of the increased metabolism.

Supports Heart Health and May Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Studies indicate regular chili pepper consumption is associated with lower risk of death from heart disease and other cardiovascular causes. Capsaicin also interacts with bodily receptors in ways that may benefit heart health. So if you want a little extra boost for your heart health, chili peppers may give you just that. I wouldn’t use them to replace any medication and/or treatment your doctor might prescribe if you do have heart issues, but you can certainly turn to them as a supplement.

Rich in Antioxidants

Chili peppers contain vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, all of which act as antioxidants which provide plenty of benefits to the body. Antioxidants help protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced during normal metabolism and exposure to things like pollution and UV light. By reducing oxidative stress, they may support heart health, brain function, skin health, and help lower inflammation. You can get antioxidants into your diet by eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole foods, and chili peppers are a good way to add them while also bringing some taste and a kick of heat.

May Improve Gut Health Through Anti-Inflammatory and Microbiome Effects

Emerging research suggests capsaicin can modulate gut microbiota and decrease pro-inflammatory bacteria, contributing to gut and overall health. That may sound counterintuitive because many people believe the spicy foods can upset the stomach, and they certainly can in some cases. But chili peppers themselves in their pure form contain that capsaicin which can be helpful to the body. That doesn’t mean you should start gobbling down Ghost Peppers like candy, but in moderation, those chili peppers can lead to a healthier and happier stomach. That warm feeling in your belly after eating a spicy meal may not just be the food, it may be your stomach thanking you!

Contains Anti-Inflammatory Properties and Pain-Relief Potential

If you go to the pharmacy, you will see multiple products with capsaicin that offer pain relief. And that is because it has documented anti-inflammatory effects and is used not only in food but also in topical pain-relief applications. If you have aches and pains, apply some capsaicin and it will certainly offer some relief (though you may feel the heat at first). And its anti-inflammatory activity may extend to gut issues and systemic inflammation. The indigenous peoples of the Americas have known this for thousands of years, and today’s pharmaceutical companies are just following their lead.

So keep adding the chili peppers to your diet, but just because they bring good taste and heat, but also because they have plenty of health benefits.