Spicy Foods – Yay or Nay?

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal says that spicing your food can actually help you live longer. The study was conducted on half a million of Chinese people and the researchers found out that those who consume spicy food more than twice per week actually diminish the chances of death by 10 percent, while those who eat spicy food around 6 times a week diminish the risk by 14 percent.

spicy-foods-advantages-and-disadvantages

While spicy foods are healthy, they can also cause some damage to your digestive system or can lead to some internal problems.

The healthy benefits and the setbacks of spicy foods

  • Slow down the aging process – the consumption of spicy foods increases the blood flow to the face and body and that makes you look younger. In fact, every food that is good for your interior reflects on the exterior.
  • Weight control – spicy foods stimulate the digestive tract and you will burn your calories faster. This is why it is recommended to eat spicy foods with a heavier meal. At the same time, the natural chemicals found in spicy foods increase your heart rate and body temperature, accelerating your metabolism rate.
  • Aid in healing – consuming spicy foods is a great way of dealing with sinus congestion and opening your airway. People who are dealing with a sinus condition might feel some kind of relief after consuming spicy foods. At the same time, chili peppers are great for boosting your immune system and fighting cold symptoms.
  • Anti-inflammatory properties – with their healing properties, spicy foods increase the blood flow to a damaged area in order to help it heal faster. Chili peppers are also known to kill stomach bacteria and to prevent further infections. Asthma and Parkinson’s can be fought by eating chili peppers due to an active ingredient, called capsaicin.
  • Temperature control – spicy foods actually warm your body when you are cold and cool off your body when you are too hot.
  • Irritant – while capsaicin has his health benefits, it can also cause burns or the activation of stomach diseases, such as ulcers, gastritis, but also intestinal diseases such as colitis.
  • Hemorrhoid troubles – spicy foods are known to cause some troubles for people suffering of hemorrhoids. They can even irritate the gut and the bowels.
  • Affect the taste buds – while spicing your dishes can be tasty, your tasting buds might take a hit. The food that is too spicy can actually harm your taste buds to the point where the damage is irreparable.
  • Eye damage – not so rarely, when chopping chili peppers we forget to wear gloves and we take our hand directly to our eyes, making them burn. The spiciness can stick with us even after we washed our hands. It is best to wear gloves and discard them as soon as we are done with spicy foods.
  • Burning sensation – spicy foods can cause heartburns and reflux issues, due to the fact that they are irritant agents.

Spicy foods are unpredictable. You never know how your body might react once you consume them. So, make sure to eat them with caution.

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