Hot Pepper: Not Just for Moroccans

Anyone who has tasted a hot pepper knows the feeling: it starts with a mild tingling on the taste buds, then intensifies and turns into a small furnace on the tongue—not to mention the involuntary teary eyes and the sudden loss of speech ability. Who would have thought that such a small component, called capsaicin, a chemical that creates a spicy sensation upon contact with our body's tissues, was responsible for all this? Besides capsaicin, hot peppers contain a long list of other important ingredients such as potassium, magnesium, sulfur, vitamin A, phosphorus, and vitamin C.

Contrary to the common belief that hot peppers are responsible only for digestive problems, it turns out that their consumption is excellent for maintaining good health in many other ways. Medical-nutritional research proves that capsaicin not only helps to alleviate pain and prevent many diseases in various body organs such as the heart, liver, circulatory system, and surprisingly, even the respiratory system. At the University of Michigan, it is even credited with the power to stop the spread of cancer.

When discussing allergies and migraines, nasal congestion, and sinus pain, we are surprised to find out, according to conclusions from the Allergy and Immunology Conference of the Western Society, that the components of hot peppers are particularly beneficial in treating neurological pains, psoriasis, arthritis, throat inflammations, and more.

Furthermore, research from the University of Chicago reveals that capsaicin is also effective in treating rheumatic muscle pains. Natural medicine also praises hot peppers for cooling body tissues in cases of high fever. Therefore, it is recommended to consume them in cases of cold and flu accompanied by fever.

And wait, that's not all: research conducted at 'Fukuoka' University in Japan found that incorporating hot peppers into the daily diet suppresses appetite and significantly reduces blood fat levels, thereby helping to decrease body fat and balance insulin levels. So even those who dislike the taste of hot peppers should reconsider their consumption.