{"id":78,"date":"2018-02-15T13:20:44","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T21:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/nutritionexperts\/?p=78"},"modified":"2018-02-15T15:21:31","modified_gmt":"2018-02-15T23:21:31","slug":"hot-spice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/nutritionexperts\/2018\/02\/15\/hot-spice\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot Spice"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Francisco T Rodriguez, DTR, CSUN Dietetic Intern<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine yourself in a Mexican restaurant waiting for the server to approach you for your meal selection.\u00a0 The first thing they bring is a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa.\u00a0 As you dip your chip into the mixture of diced onions, pureed fresh tomatoes, roasted chili peppers, crisp cilantro, and revitalizing freshly squeezed lime, you realize that you have just consumed what feels like piece of heaven.\u00a0 But before tears of pleasure begin to fall from your eyes, a tingle begins to form at the tip of your tongue, then your lips, and then your throat.\u00a0 You now realize that those tears of joy were in fact droplets of sweat stimulated by a kick of spice.\u00a0 It is not your ordinary type of pain but rather a pleasurable painful sensation.\u00a0 It is a pain that you enjoy and cannot get enough of, which is why you grab another piece of tortilla chip and dip again.\u00a0 What is this tingly, painful sensation that we experience when consuming spicy chili peppers?<\/p>\n

To begin, peppers contain an active ingredient known as CAPSAICIN<\/strong>. Capsaicin is released from the membrane of the pepper and interacts with your sensory system on your hands, around your face, and within your mouth.\u00a0 A signal is sent from the sensory ends interacting with capsaicin to the brain, which in turn the brain sends a signal back throughout your body to activate responses such as sweating, tingling, and slight pain.\u00a0 The more capsaicin a pepper has, the hotter the pepper will be, so be careful.\u00a0 Yes, salsa is dangerously delicious, but why put up with such pain?\u00a0 There have been countless studies aimed at observing the effects of this Central American spice containing capsaicin on overall human health.\u00a0 Besides the fact that peppers have a rich source of Vitamin C and A, there is promising evidence that a diet rich in spicy peppers is associated with improvements in diabetes and even helps protect against cancer.<\/p>\n

Capsaicin and Diabetes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Various studies have been conducted on animals that suggest consumption of capsaicin produces specific gastrointestinal hormones known as incretins that are associated with the reduction of blood glucose levels.[i]<\/a>\u00a0 Capsaicin helps by turning on Glucagon-like Peptide-1 known as GLP-1 found in the distal ilium and colon.\u00a0 This study on mice indicated that dietary capsaicin increased insulin sensitivity and lowered blood glucose levels.\u00a0 Another study conducted on humans compared three types of meals that either contained no chili peppers or lots of chili peppers.[ii]<\/a>\u00a0\u201cSeveral studies demonstrated that consumption of dietary chili pepper may reduce blood glucose and attenuate postprandial hyperinsulinemia.[ii]<\/a>\u201d This means that participants had lower glucose levels after a meal with spices compared to a meal without spices.<\/p>\n

Capsaicin and Cancer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me first say that capsaicin is not a cure and that you should always consult with your physician on cancer treatments that are right for you. There are many forms of cancers and tumors that unfortunately affect millions of people throughout the world.\u00a0 Treatments include radiation and chemotherapy which have drastic side effects that greatly reduce quality of life.\u00a0 This is why pharmaceutical companies as well as individuals affected by the disease are continuously searching for alternatives. Studies show very promising outcomes from capsaicin dosages; so much so that pharmaceutical companies continue to experiment and conduct studies using concentrated forms of capsaicin.\u00a0 Two studies showed a reduction of cell proliferation and cell apoptosis of tumor cells related to the prostate, colon, pancreas, and lungs.[iii]<\/a>\u00a0 In general, capsaicin disrupts the transcription of mRNA molecules utilized by the proliferating tumor cells and thus prevents its cell growth.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s Face the Facts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peppers are delicious and their spicy characteristic could be altered to fit every individual\u2019s need.\u00a0 They go perfectly with almost any type of dish.\u00a0 Peppers are a versatile food that have the potential to improve our health.\u00a0 Be careful consuming spices if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease or any other type of gastric irritation for peppers could aggravate symptoms.\u00a0 As for everyone else, be adventurous and try adding any type of peppers to your meal.<\/p>\n

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Spicy Salsa Dip<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n