Peppers can do much more than make food more delicious and interesting. They can help your body in so many ways, and you may be surprised by all the proven health benefits they have. Did you know that spicy foods have been associated with longer life spans? Or that they could help you lose weight? If you want to learn more about the benefits of spicy food and why you should add more to your diet, here are five of the biggest benefits of adding some spice to your life.
They Can Boost Your Metabolism
While there is no miracle cure for losing weight, hot peppers are the closest thing you’ll get to one. Research has shown that capsaicin, the compound that gives peppers their heat, could significantly increase your body’s core temperature which boosts metabolism and leads to greater weight loss. This makes spicy foods a great option for people who don’t get much chance to exercise. Doing something as simple as switching to more spicy cuisines, like Indian food, for example, instead of other options could be more than enough for you to get some of the benefits.
As a matter of fact, Indian food is one of the best restaurant or takeaway foods you can go for if your goal is to lose weight, but you like a treat now and again. So, if you have a few pounds to lose and are too busy to cook or train regularly, it would be a good idea to start looking for a good Bristol Indian restaurant and try some of their spicier options.
You should know that spicy food can help you lose weight in other ways. Capsaicin is also a very powerful appetite suppressant, so you’ll not only lose weight by burning more calories, but by eating less too.
They Can Help Fight Cancer
Research has also shown that spicy foods can reduce the chances of someone getting cancer. This can again be attributed to capsaicin. Capsaicin does more than make peppers hot. It is also one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants and antioxidants play an essential role in freeing the body of free radicals, which are one of the main reasons for cancer.
Not only can capsaicin help with preventing cancers, but they can also be used to slow the progression of cancer cells or kill them. One study found that capsaicin inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells in mice while leaving healthy cells unharmed, which showed great promise for the future of cancer treatment in humans.
They Can Lower the Risk of Heart Disease
In addition to that, spicy foods have also been found to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. This is because chili peppers slow down the damage caused by LDL or bad cholesterol. Not only that, but they also have anti-inflammatory properties which further reduce the chances of cardiovascular issues.
As you can see, there is much more to spicy foods than just the heat. So, if you want to live a healthier, longer life, start looking at ways that you could add more of them into your diet without overdoing it.
