The Upsides And Downsides Of Adding Spicy Food In Your Diet

Uncover the upsides and downsides of adding spicy food to your diet. Learn how consuming spicy foods can increase longevity and delight your taste buds.

Do you daub your food in Sriracha sauce or top up everything with Paprika? Regardless of the ways you include these spicy favorites into your meal you are certain to receive plenty of its virtues. Current research from “British Medical Journal” states about increasing your longevity compared to those who are not consuming enough spice in their meal.

A half-million people in China participated in the study and finally, researchers discovered those who consumed spicy foods as minimum as twice a week lowered their risk of death by 10%.

As Indians, we all take a gourmet’s delight in eating Indian cuisines that contain spicy food and dismiss them as bland if there is little spice. Whether a snack dish such as an aloo chat or a main course such as karahi paneer, it is the spice level that lures us. All spicy food lovers have experienced watery noses and eyes and a burning feeling on their tongue and often enjoy this experience.

However, you need to know its wholesome effects as well as some of the downsides of consuming spicy foods in the diet. Here we take a look at the upsides and downsides of eating these lip-smacking spicy foods.

Benefits Of Spicy Food

Here are a few health benefits provided by spicy foods that kick in flavor to your diet:

Can Fight inflammation

Spices usually contain anti-inflammatory features. This can be very beneficial in healing different health issues like headaches, nausea, and arthritis. Spicy food can aid with pain and healing by raising blood flow to an affected region. Capsaicin is the dynamic ingredient in scotch bonnet peppers and it’s recognized to combat inflammation. This can also be beneficial for people having autoimmune ailments, asthma sufferers, and Parkinson’s. Discovering spicy foods with the most capsaicin concentration is key. For instance, raw chopped peppers would be extremely high in capsaicin and possibly the most useful.

May Aid To Avoid Cancer

 As per a study, it was discovered that spices may target cancer cells and remove them or shrink their growth. This can aid stop or retard the development of cancer cells, thus lowering the risk of growth or aggravation of cancer.

Fights Infections And Bacterial Attacks

 Spices are an abundant source of antioxidants and contain antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. This can facilitate combating bodily infections by removing disease-inducing bacteria.

Temperature Regulation

Among the most interesting facts regarding spicy food is that it can warm up your body when it’s cold out and, amazingly, can chill your body off when you are hot. Consuming spicy food makes you sweat and sweating aids to regulate your body temperature. So though it may appear strange, certainly apply more heat to your food when the heat is on.

Benefits Your Longevity

 As per a study by Harvard and China National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, persistent consumption of spices can aid a person to live longer.  This study revealed that consuming spicy food weekly or even once a day dipped mortality rates by 14%.

Boosts Metabolism

 Spices can aid to enhance the metabolism of the body due to the existence of antioxidants. This can aid with weight control and weight loss and promote digestion. Statistics across various studies reveal that spices like peppers, cumin, chillies, and cinnamon can accelerate the metabolic resting count and diminish your appetite. A particular study also discovered that turmeric restricted the growth of fat tissue in mice. 

Weight Control

A leading gastroenterologist of New York City says among the greatest advantages of consuming spicy food (particularly habaneros, jalapenos, and cayenne) arises from capsaicin. This natural chemical accelerates metabolism by raising heart rate and body temperature. As pointed out by a Nutritional health counselor, the finest time to consume spicy food is with a heavier meal during dinner or lunch. It will activate the digestive tract.

Reservoir Of Youth

The study discovered consuming spicy food could aid you to live more. But can it also preserve your youth?

Spicy food can retard the aging process by elevating blood flow to the body and face. This increases the youth of the skin.

Contains Healing Qualities

Spicy food not just aids people having sinus conditions potentially reducing their symptoms, but it also aids elevate blood flow and general circulation which promotes healing properties.

Chilli peppers have been observed as being medicinal for centuries. As they are loaded with vitamins such as A and C, they can aid improve the immune system and even combat the common cold.

Promotes Heart Wellness

Spicy foods work as a blood thinner and antioxidant, which helps in heart disease by enhancing cardiac blood vessel strength. Talk about a healthy heart! 

Can Also Help Combat Cancer

Capsaicin, an active ingredient naturally found in chilli peppers has been found to moderate and eradicate cancer cells. Cancer research presented in a journal revealed that capsaicin suppressed the proliferation of prostate cancer cells within mice and at the same time does not harm the healthy cells.  

Dangers Of Spicy Food

The following are the downsides to consuming too much spicy food and can offer you certain disconcerting feelings such as:

Can Work As Irritant

While capsaicin has advantages, it also has a few flipsides. Capsaicin can be an extremely powerful irritant. It can also lead to damage to the stomach lining, which consequently can result in stomach ulcers, gastritis, and also intestinal disease like colitis. The capsaicin present in chilli pepper stimulates the production of Substance P, an ingredient that circulates burning and painful sensations. Certain spices, for instance, horseradish and mustard can cause tissue damage as per NYU Langone Medical Center. Spicy foods do not lead to a stomach ulcer or heartburn but can aggravate these conditions. 

An Unpleasant Burn

You may desire the burning sensation spicy food brings on your tongue, but the downside to that is spicy food can also result in heartburn and reflux disease.  The reason is that its irritant and acidic properties can exert quite an undesired effect after it strikes your insides. 

Cause Skin Breakouts

Spicy food can result in skin breakouts, acne, and pimples. When spice-laden food causes gut inflammation from acid reflux, stomach upset, or different symptoms- sometimes these are manifested on the skin with an acne breakout, flare-ups, or even rashes or eczema. If a specific food can be the offender, dermatologists may advise an individual to maintain a food diary to detect the culprit. 

Can Lead To Insomnia

If you relish a meal full of spice, you may like to adjust it in the lunch hours as acidic and spicy diets can affect sleep hours because they produce heartburn. Leading health specialists often advise avoiding spicy foods around your bedtime as lying down often worsens the discomfort you experience.  

Conclusion

Everything is accompanied by its set of benefits and drawbacks. Different individuals have a distinct level of spice tolerance. Despite the advantages provided, spicy food can lead to stomach irritation in a few people. Although spicy foods can support healthy digestion, they can also worsen already present digestion issues. Moreover, it may cause harming the taste buds as people may acquire a penchant for spicy food and might finish finding every other thing tasteless, or bland. It is always recommended to eat spicy food in moderation and enjoy its multiple health benefits as well.