Are you one of those people who love spicy food? If yes, then there is good news for you. The main basic ingredient for getting dishes with a spicy taste is, of course, chili plants. Belonging to the Solanaceae nightshade plant species family, hot peppers spread throughout the world since the 16th and 17th centuries. Until now, chili is one of the commercial plants that everyone is always looking for thanks to its natural spicy taste and the ease of processing it into any dish. The spicy taste of chilies comes from an active substance called an alkaloid which is also known as capsaicin. The more capsaicin contained in chilies, the spicier and hotter the chili tastes. However, there are indeed some chili variants that are spicier than others, depending on the type and growing conditions.
In fact, behind the spicy taste, chili actually has a variety of benefits for the body thanks to the content of nutrients in it. Check out the benefits of chili for your body in the following review.
- Burn fat
Consuming chilies in sufficient and controlled quantities is very useful for those of you who want to lose weight. The content of the capsaicin substance found in chili plants can increase the intensity of burning calories in the body while accelerating the process of burning fat. However, of course you have to take care not to consume chilies excessively considering that your digestive system is prone to being disturbed if you process too many foods that are too spicy.
- pain reliever
The content of capsaicin in chili plants can actually stimulate the process of releasing endorphins which function as natural pain relievers in the body. Capsaicin will be in direct contact with pain receptors in the body and make nerve endings stop sending pain sensation signals to the brain. This occurs together with the sensation of heat that is felt by the tongue and body when you eat chilies. Some types of diseases that can be relieved by chili include herpes zoster, bursitis, diabetes, rheumatism, and muscle spasms.
- Launching the respiratory system
Chili can help widen the airways in the lungs, thereby reducing the risk of developing respiratory system diseases such as asthma. Asthma generally occurs when the airways experience narrowing which then results in disruption of the flow of air in and out through your lungs. The content of vitamin A in chilies can also reduce levels of benzopyrene in the body which is usually found in cigarette smoke, both in the body of an active and passive smoker.
- Clears a stuffy nose
Another benefit of the capsaicin content in chili plants is to relieve congestion in the nose and throat. The hot sensation that you feel immediately after consuming chilies helps the body clear mucus in the nose and throat naturally. This is why you always feel your nose, eyes and mouth runny after eating spicy food. The antibacterial properties possessed by capsaicin are a big enemy for chronic sinus infections thanks to its ability to induce vasoconstriction in the blood vessels of the nasal cavity.
- Against cancer cells
Various scientific research results have stated that the capsaicin content found in chili plants can kill tumor cells and cancer in the body. This is due to the presence of carotenoids in chilies which are antioxidants so they can fight cells that have the potential to become cancer cells.
Those are some of the benefits of consuming chilies for your body. Even though chili has various benefits, you still have to pay attention to the limits of spicy food that you can consume because the digestive conditions of each body are of course different. Apart from that, you also need to always maintain your body's health by exercising regularly and maintaining your diet for a higher quality life in the future. #LiveExcellently