Really? Yes really! A study conducted a longitudinal analysis
with 22,811 men and women. As reported
in the December 2019 Journal of the American College of Cardiology “…regular
consumption of chili pepper is associated with a lower risk of total and CVD death
independent of CVD factors or adherence to a Mediterranean diet.”
Pepper eaters had a 40% lower risk of having a fatal
heart attack, and their stroke risk was 50% lower!
So how do peppers lower risk? Chili peppers contain a plant chemical
called capsaicin which is responsible for its hot and spicy jolt. Capsaicin is concentrated in the seeds and
white inner membranes of peppers.
Capsaicin is produced to protect peppers fungus growth. When ingested it tricks the brain into
perceiving heat where it touches the body.
This stimulation of nerves helps block pain and is why topical capsaicin
creams can be very helpful for pain. It
exhausts the levels of “substance P” which plays a role in transmitting pain
signals to the brain.
Another study showed that Capsaicin can help lower blood
pressure by boosting transient receptor vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). Yet another study published in the
American Heart Association Journal Circulation found that using a pain cream
with Capsaicin reduced damage to the heart during a heart attack.
While there
are many benefits to capsaicin-containing foods, eating chili peppers is not for
everyone. Some people cannot tolerate the compound or the flavor, while others
may find it upsets existing conditions.
For most
people, however, eating chili peppers will be a beneficial way to get added
nutrition, and may prove to be beneficial for heart health. Do not take a
capsaicin supplement or use a cream without consulting with a qualified health
care professional.
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