Many rely on eating hot sauce or “hot sauce” as an appetizer and a source of adding a delicious taste to certain meals, while some may refrain from eating it because they suffer from stomach problems or do not like the spicy taste in general.
Eat This Not That surveyed some nutritionists about the positive and negative effects of adding a little spice to your diet:
1. A source of vitamins and minerals
Hot sauce can be a good source of vitamins and minerals. According to nutrition expert Lisa Andrews, “Hot sauce, which usually contains different types of hot peppers, is a source of plant pigments such as chlorophyll, anthocyanins and lutein, which are antioxidants,” noting that ” Hot sauce can also be a source of vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids.”
2. Lose weight
Consuming cayenne spice can help curb food cravings and increase metabolism. “Eating hot spices can temporarily increase metabolism due to thermogenesis,” says Dietitian Brenna Woods. “The capsaicin in hot sauce can prevent the accumulation of fat in the body, as well as increase the feeling of satiety.”
3. Anti-inflammation
Temporarily taking spicy substances can help relieve pain and fight inflammation, which is defined as pain, heat, redness, swelling, and confusion throughout the body. “The compound capsaicin has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years to reduce pain and inflammation,” Woods says, noting that “the effects of capsaicin are mostly when used topically, but there are in vitro studies that suggest it may reduce inflammatory markers when taken orally as well.” “.
4. Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
“Capsicinoids are the pungent compounds responsible for the distinctive taste of chili peppers, which have been shown to have benefits such as improving the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation, improving vascular health, lowering blood pressure and decreasing endothelial cytokines as well as lowering cholesterol and reducing blood glucose and reduce inflammatory risk factors.
5. Stomach problems
Cayenne spice can cause stomach problems, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the direct cause of stomach pain, but it may be the chemicals, produced in the body by eating capsaicin, that are responsible for stomach problems. According to research published in the journal Molecules, capsaicin triggers the release of a chemical called B substance, which a study from the journal Immunology notes is released naturally when the body feels inflamed. There is damage that can lead to a burning sensation or pain in the stomach. “Hot sauce can be a very strong irritant and can cause stomach damage and lead to gastritis, ulcers, and intestinal disease,” Lindell says.
6. Cardiovascular syndrome
Cayenne spice can help modify risk factors for cardiovascular syndrome. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, cardiovascular syndrome is classified as heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and/or diabetes, or any of their precursors together. “All of these beneficial effects of hot spices together help to modulate risk factors for cardiovascular syndrome,” says Lindell. “Early identification of risk factors for cardiovascular disease can help in trying to prevent obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”