Here is your ArcaMax The You Docs Ezine

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Here is your ArcaMax The You Docs Ezine

Smokin' Hot Health Benefits of Red Chili Peppers

Love the sizzle and heat of a hot pepper? Good for you. Because there's new evidence that capsaicin -- the ingredient that makes jalapenos, habaneros and red pepper flakes blisteringly hot -- ups fat burning and lowers blood pressure. The details: --Plenty of studies show that the fiery ingredient in smokin' hot peppers turns up your body's fat-torching furnace. Now we know why: Capsaicin activates about 20 different fat-burning proteins. Don't expect a few shakes of cayenne to cancel out a bowl of cheesy, greasy nachos. It took dieters who ate 9 milligrams of capsaicin a day (equivalent to several bites of a really hot habanero pepper) a month to burn enough fat to lose an extra pound. Still, every bite helps. --Capsaicin also turns out to be a spicy treat for your blood pressure. The hot stuff triggers the release of nitric oxide, which acts like a soothing massage for blood vessel linings: They relax, say "ahhh, thank you," and your blood pressure goes down. How well does it work? Researchers point to lower rates of high blood pressure in regions of China where hot peppers are part of the daily cuisine. Want to turn up the heat at your next meal? All hot peppers contain capsaicin, but the hottest of the hotties (not Banderas; think habaneros and the deceptively named Scotch bonnets) pack the most. They're followed by jalapenos, Spanish pimentos and Hungarian cherry peppers. Don't overlook hot sauce and powdered or flaked chili peppers too. All are potent sources of healthy sizzle. Cool stuff.