Spicy food has its own set of lovers. Talking about its health benefits, spices like chili powder and cayenne pepper have been used in the past to treat conditions like sore throats, common cold and toothaches. But a few people have their own attributes towards spicy food items. Here are a few myths about spices and spicy foods.
1. Spicy foods causes ulcers – This is not true at all For a long time there has been a belief that peptic ulcers were caused by eating certain foods or stress. But in the majority of the cases it was found that ulcers were caused due to the bacteria known as H.pylori or some of the drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin. In a recent study it was found that capsaicin could actually play a role in prevention of stomach ulcers.
2. Spicy food induces labour – This is false as there is absolutely no connection between the uterus and the stomach. Still many women have tried to begin the birthing process with something spicy, which could hardly help. There is no hard evidence that spicy food can induce labour but people still keep trying.
3. Spicy food helps to lose weight – Not so true but to a certain extent – The content of Capsaicin stimulates the brown fat in the body that expends energy as heat. So when you are eating spicy food you are actually burning calories but it is a very small to be measurable. Ingesting capsaicin can increase the metabolism by about eight percent but you cannot rely on it completely.
4. Spicy food can kill the taste buds – The statement does not have any authenticity. When you ingest capsaicin, the mouth goes numb temporarily but that does not mean the taste buds have stopped working. It stimulates the body just the way heat does.
Overall, if you love spicy food, do not think too much and just indulge in your favourite dishes and make your tastebuds happy.
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