Tuesday, September 04, 2007

The skinny on spicy foods

Adding spices to your diet…

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when women added 2 teaspoons of dried red pepper on their food, they consumed fewer calories and fat in later meals.

The curcumin that turns turmeric yellow also helps reduce inflammation and aids muscle repair after heavy exercise, researchers at the University of South Carolina at Columbia say. Curcumin also sweeps out plaque deposits in your brain, which may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease, research from the University of California at Los Angeles suggests.

Capsaicin (the compound that gives chiles their kick) triggers pain receptors in the mouth, in turn signaling your brain to release feel-good endorphins, according to scientists at the State University of New York at Buffalo. That chemical surge not only helps dull the pepper’s bite, but it also betters your mood.

Steve - while these spices have their place in the healthy food chain, what can be beneficial to some may be poison for others. Anyone with excess acidity, gastrointestinal disorders, salicylate sensitivity, or poor renal/liver function should proceed with caution with these substances.

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