Some people love the taste of spicy food, while others avoid it.
You might hear them say it irritates their stomach or its too much to handle. But what’s the real deal when it comes to spicy food? Is it truly healthy, or is it harmful? For the answer, we turn to the experts. It turns out spicy food contains quite a few health benefits. Researchers say people who exercise and eat a well-balanced diet can use spicy food to help further boost their metabolism. The capsaicin helps with that because it assists your body with burning energy and breaking down fat. Spicy food may also help with portion control, as the capsaicin in hot peppers reduces your appetite, so you naturally want to eat less throughout the day.
There are other studies that say diets including spicy food can help with heart health.
Eating spicy food may reduce things like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even Type 2 diabetes. Yet another study found people who routinely eat chili peppers on the hot pepper scale are less likely to die from a stroke or heart attack. Spicy food may even have a benefit in terms of gut health, which helps with our energy and immune systems.
So, what about people who claim spicy food is harmful to their health?
It may be that they just don’t like the taste of spicy food, or that they’re not used to eating food with a lot of spice. While you should always follow the advice of your doctor when it comes to what to eat and what not to eat for your own health, sometimes the challenge of tackling spicy food simply means training your body to start slow. You don’t need to race to the very top of the hot scale. Find a pepper you’re comfortable with and enjoy eating, then go from there.