Eating spicy foods can bring you a ton of unexpected benefits. These include living longer, speeding up your metabolism, fighting bacteria, and even making your heart healthier.
Read on to discover the surprising health benefits of eating foods that bring the heat!
How can spicy foods make you live longer?
Harvard researchers found that people who eat spicy foods a lot (almost every day) have a lower risk of death than spice-haters- by 14% percent! That might make it worth piling on some extra hot sauce.
Keep in mind, though- spicy foods do not necessarily cause long life. Researchers just found a connection between people who lived longer and the amount of spicy food they ate.
How do spicy foods speed up your metabolism?
Eating foods with a little spice can send your metabolism into hyperdrive. Even though the effect is not huge and shouldn’t be used as your only weight loss plan, spices like chilies, peppers, cinnamon, turmeric, and cumin can actually slow down your appetite while raising your metabolic resting rate.
How does spicy food destroy bacteria?
Some spices can be used against bacteria that harms the body, such as cumin and turmeric. Some spices, like garlic and cinnamon, help fight strains of E.coli. A lot of spices also help protect us from certain types of infections. When in doubt, spice it up!
Does eating spicy foods help with weight loss?
Eating spicy foods could help with weight loss by increasing your metabolism and suppressing hunger, but the effect is mild. You may feel fuller after eating a spicy meal, which could cause you to limit your calories.
Keep in mind, though, that weight loss will need more than just extra-spicy hot sauce. The type of food you’re eating plays a super important role, but spice may add some benefits to the good thing you’ve already got going.
Do spicy foods make your heart healthier?
Studies show that your heart may benefit from your spice-obsessed taste buds. Your risk of getting health problems like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol may be lowered because of your spicy food preferences!
Are spicy foods good for your gut?
Inflammation
If you deal with chronic inflammation- I have good news! Adding in some spice to your diet can decrease inflammation. The compound capsaicin, which is found in spicy foods, causes less gut inflammation.
Tumor-Free
Spice may also use that same compound, capsaicin, to keep your gastrointestinal tract free of tumors. If you have a family history of tumors in the gastric tract, try spicing up your foods- it may just prevent tumors from forming!
Can spicy foods help with pain?
Surprisingly, spicy foods can help with the pain that you’re feeling! You can use lotions or creams with some intense heat over areas that are hurting. In the same way that your tongue can feel a spice-induced burning sensation, your skin can feel relief through that same burn.
