Constant consumption of too spicy food. Benefits and harms: what happens to our body when we eat spicy food. The benefits and harms of spicy food

Spicy and hot dishes can be found in almost any national cuisine. Spices stimulate the appetite, enrich the taste of the dish and create a feeling of warmth. But is it worth eating spicy foods regularly? Let's weigh the pros and cons.

Spicy food: pros

Numerous studies show that the addition of certain spices makes food healthier - including those that are rightfully considered the most “fiery”. How are they useful?

Helps you lose weight. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, which speeds up metabolism. No magic: this substance stimulates an increase in body temperature and increases the heart rate.

In addition, people who prefer spicy foods rarely consume large portions of it, which means they are more effective at controlling their calorie intake.

Improves blood circulation. Spicy food creates a feeling of warmth, and dilation of blood vessels and the release of adrenaline reduces blood pressure.

Besides, hot peppers helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels, as it contains a large amount of vitamins A and.

Improves digestion. Any spicy spices stimulate secretion gastric juice. This, in turn, improves blood flow to the walls of the stomach and helps restore its mucous membrane.

At the same time, the substance capsaicin contained in hot peppers fights bacteria that can enter the digestive tract along with food.

Helps fight colds. Hot spices stimulate sweating, reducing discomfort caused by elevated temperatures. In addition, spices help cleanse the nasal passages during a runny nose and remove mucus from the bronchi.

Helps you sleep. The warming effect of spices allows you to relax and sleep peacefully. And, since the stomach of a spicy food lover is rarely full, a person gets a good night’s sleep and gets up in the morning refreshed and ready to have breakfast.

Fight stress. Spicy foods increase levels of pleasure hormones – endorphin and serotonin. Such a meal calms you down, reduces the effects of stress and even dulls mild pain.

Spicy food: arguments against

Despite obvious benefit for health, many experts recommend using hot spices extremely carefully, or even abandoning them altogether. Why?

Gastritis. An excess of spicy food can lead to the development of gastritis - inflammation of the stomach lining. It is usually caused by an infection, but regular irritation of the stomach walls spicy foods may lead to a decrease in their protective barrier.

Heartburn. Spicy and spicy foods stimulate the production of stomach acid and can lead to heartburn - the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus - especially after large meals.

Bad breath. Spicy seasonings containing onions and garlic cause long-term bad breath.

Damage to taste buds. Constantly eating spicy foods can disrupt the functioning of your taste buds. This can explain the addiction to eating hot seasonings and a decrease in interest in bland food: it seems tasteless.

Everything in moderation

Even though spicy foods can be healthy, you shouldn't overindulge in them. Do not forget that painful sensations that a person experiences when tasting such food is a signal from the body that it normal operation broken.

It is especially important to control consumption spicy seasonings those who have diseases gastrointestinal tract or increased sensitivity to a burning taste. Learn to add spices in moderation to enjoy their flavor and get maximum health benefits.

No nation in the world can boast of the absence of spicy dishes in their national cuisine. And the main consumer of such culinary products is most often a man. For decades now, some scientists have been preaching about the dangers of spicy cuisine for male body. Others, on the contrary, praise her beneficial features. So what should the emphasis be on? modern man?

List of Spicy Foods You Don't Need to Cook

It's no secret that the best chefs are men. Is it any wonder that representatives of the stronger sex try every day to create a masterpiece in their own kitchen, which would be on par with the dishes served in restaurants or elite pubs. Those who never found common language with kitchen appliances, he is simply content with new positions in public catering establishments.

As a rule, spicy food is classified as “Alarm!”, and is not recommended by nutritionists. Therefore, it is better to exclude some items of the daily menu from the diet completely or partially:

1. Hamburgers.
You shouldn’t give up the occasional snack of a cutlet with a crispy bun. You just need to focus on the content in the middle of these components. Spicy and pickled peppers, salted cucumbers and full harmful microelements the sauce is what causes serious harm. But remember your student years - beer and a burger were our everyday food.

2. Seafood.
Most modern dishes are made using spices. Thanks to them they manage to give a special taste. Seafood itself is an essential component of a man’s diet. But what is mixed into them is a taboo for health.

4. Beer snacks.
Today, many pubs present visitors with various additions to beer. These are garlics (garlic croutons), onion rings, fish and meat slices. As a rule, these dishes are made from expired products. A large number of spices can add flavor.

There is not enough time to list all the dishes that are very popular in modern world, and which must be excluded from the diet. It is enough to summarize one thing - you should abstain from foods rich in the following ingredients:

Pepper
Marinades
Other spices

However, you should not build rigid boundaries. Moderated consumption (rare and in small quantities) will allow you to simultaneously enjoy delicious food, and do not harm the body.

Top 5 Spicy Food Recipes

As already mentioned, you should not completely give up spicy food. Sometimes you can pamper your stomach with delicious spicy dishes. Preparing each of the items listed below will not be difficult even for a culinary novice.

Best Spicy Food Recipes:

1. Cheese and garlic sticks

An excellent delicacy that is suitable for both festive table, and for an ordinary evening gathering in front of the TV. You will need:

Filtered water (1.25 cups)
Honey (1 tsp)
Salt (1 tsp)
Yeast (7 grams)
5 cloves garlic
Butter (225 grams)
Garlic powder (1 tsp)
Parmesan (150 grams)
Oregano (2 spoons)
Rosemary (2 tsp)
Thyme (1/4 tsp)

Pour water into a container and add honey and yeast. After foam appears, add salt and flour. Knead and leave for 30 minutes. In a blender, blend cheese, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Transfer the resulting mass into a bowl.

When the dough has settled, roll it up and divide it into 5-6 parts (strips). Separately mix the oil and garlic powder. Dip the dough sticks in this oil. Then roll in cheese mixture.

Place the sticks on a baking sheet and bake for 17-18 minutes. The oven temperature should be at least 200 degrees.

2. Savory cheese scones

Another tasty dish, which is ideal for the holiday table. You will need:

Egg (2 pcs)
Cottage cheese (250 grams)
Granulated sugar (1/2 teaspoon)
Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Flour (250 grams)
Baking powder (1 teaspoon)
Mozzarella (150 grams)
Garlic (clove)
Sour cream (1 tablespoon)
Thyme (1 handful)

Mix one egg, butter and cottage cheese. Heat the oven to 190 degrees. Flour is mixed with baking powder. Salt and sugar are added to it. Afterwards everything is mixed with the curd mass. The resulting mixture is set aside for a few minutes.

The cheese is grated, and garlic, passed through a press, is suspended from it. Next, thyme and sour cream are added.

The dough is divided into two parts, each of which is rolled into a ball. The first layer is placed on a baking sheet. The cheese filling is laid out on it. Cover with a second layer and go into the oven. Bake for no more than 20 minutes.

3. Chicken wings in spicy apple-tomato marinade

Chicken dishes will never lose their relevance on the table. For the dish you will need:

Chicken wings (1 kg)
Butter (150 grams)
Apple puree (80 grams)
Tomato sauce (80 grams)
Sugar (3 tablespoons)
Tabasco (1/2 teaspoon)
Soy sauce (3 tbsp.)
Half a lemon (squeeze juice)
Vegetable oil (2 tbsp)
Cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
Paprika (1 tsp)

Add sugar to lemon juice. Combine with tomato paste And applesauce. Add spices and vegetable oil there.

Place the container on the fire and heat to a boil. Add Tobasco sauce.

Cut up the chicken wings and place them in the marinade. Leave on the stove for 2 hours over medium heat. Then remove the wings and place them on a wire rack. Fry for 5 minutes each side.

4. Garlic croutons

Soft crackers are perfect both as a snack for beer and as a snack before a feast. You will need:

Rye bread
Salt (1 teaspoon)
Garlic (3 cloves)
Butter (100 grams)
Garlic powder (1 teaspoon)

Cut the bread into 1 centimeter strips. Melt butter in a frying pan and pour the remaining ingredients onto it. Pour the resulting mixture over the bread slices and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. Heat in the oven for 25 minutes.

5. Spicy Mexican Burger

He is the king of fast food. Not to say that it is healthy, but one burger, consumed once a week, has never harmed anyone. To prepare you will need:

Minced meat (500 grams)
Chili pepper (5 grams)
Onions (2 pcs)
Ground black pepper
Avocado (1 piece)
Garlic (1 clove)
Lemon juice (15 ml)

Mix minced meat, onion and chili. Add spices. Make 4 cutlets and brush each one with oil. Grill until each side is brown.

Mash the avocado and combine it with lemon juice and onions. There are also garlic, pepper and salt. Place the resulting mixture on the minced meat. Next, combine with bun.

The benefits and harms of spicy food

Spicy food, although criticized by nutritionists, is not only harmful to the body. Its more beneficial properties are as follows:

Strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
Improved blood circulation;
Normalization of digestion;
Elimination of colds/Destruction of harmful microbes;
Fighting stress;
Normalization of sleep.

The benefits of spicy foods also include weight loss, because after eating it, your heart rate increases and your temperature rises, which has a positive effect on fat burning. Spicy food stimulates the appetite, but eliminates the desire to taste harmful salty foods. In view of this, many people who want to lose weight tend to replace salt with pepper, turmeric, ginseng or some other spice.

The reason why people try to avoid spicy foods is because of their following negative effects:

Stomach upset (gastritis, ulcer).
Damage to receptors on the tongue.

A person who often consumes spicy foods will sooner or later see a gastroenterologist. Conclusion: Spicy dishes are quite appropriate on the table, but it should be a rare occurrence. Special attention You should pay attention to the serving size.

Consequences after eating spicy food

Although dishes in this category have a body-warming effect, the presence discomfort more typical for them. After spicy food occurs bad smell from mouth. Also, in most cases, heartburn occurs. If you experience abdominal pain after eating spices, this is an indication of the development of a stomach disease.

Do you want something spicy? Have you ever thought about the effect of spicy food on your body? We all love to eat deliciously and with gusto.

Hot spices added to food tend to create “unearthly” aromas that excite and enhance the sense of smell, and we unconsciously begin to feel hungry. Food seasoned with them tastes amazing - as a rule, spices do not change, but enhance its best taste qualities. There is an opinion that people added spices to food earlier than salt. The first mentions of spices are found in ancient written sources of China, India and Egypt, as far back as 3 thousand years BC. Having received its worldwide recognition and wide application(used in almost any national cuisine), they are small particles of subtropical and tropical plants after processing.

We are not designed to digest spicy foods

Everything would be fine, but ours internal organs We are not used to digesting spicy food, but the “tuning” to processing takes place over centuries and is passed on through genes. Eastern countries have long used hot seasonings in cooking - this is their ethnic cuisine, and the body oriental man adapted to such food. In turn, our cuisine seems tasteless and bland to them, since taste buds are accustomed to more “ thrills" Spices were brought to our region relatively recently, so the body has not yet adapted. Excessive passion and our consumption of spicy seasonings can lead to big problems with health.

I can already hear how lovers of spicy food object to me - after all, most Internet sources describe precisely its beneficial properties. I can list them:

Promotes weight loss. It’s as if, after eating spicy food, body temperature rises, metabolism speeds up, and the portion of food eaten becomes smaller. They write that all this leads to weight loss. I really want to bet - the temperature and metabolism increase quite slightly, which does not affect recovery in any way normal weight; Regarding portions - by eating spicy food, we only irritate the walls of the stomach, as a result, more gastric juice is released, and accordingly, the feeling of hunger will visit us after a short time.
Normalize blood circulation. Again, “as the temperature rises, the blood vessels expand and the pressure drops.” But what about people with low blood pressure? If you believe what is written, then after consuming spicy food, it will drop even more. And where is the “normalization” of blood circulation here?
Improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. People with gastritis with low acidity Maybe. What about everyone else? Excessive and constant secretion of gastric juice in greater quantities than necessary for normal process digestion, can lead to gastritis with increased acidity, or even worse - ulcers.

I don’t argue with other properties; in any case, there are positive and useful aspects in hot spices, but not about them now.

You need to choose spices wisely

You need to be very careful in selecting spices that suit your body and using them in cooking in the wrong way. large quantities. If you immediately start eating very spicy food, and in large quantities, you may end up causing irreparable harm body.

First, you will have problems with your taste buds. The perception of taste will change, or the receptors will stop “working” altogether, and you will not feel the taste of food. As a result, you will add more and more different spices to your food to create a sense of taste.

Secondly, as I wrote above, spicy food irritates the walls of the stomach, excess gastric juice is released - as a result, you get pain, colic and, ultimately, gastritis and ulcers. Also, all of the above can be attributed to the intestines.

Third, you may have the strongest allergic reaction on food that is unusual for the body.

Based on the above, you need to carefully monitor your body’s reaction to eating spicy food - if discomfort or pain occurs in the abdominal area, or a slight rash on the skin, it is best to exclude such food from your diet and not “terrorize” your internal organs.

If everything is fine with you, there are no negative consequences, you can eat seasoned food to your heart's content, but don't forget - everything should be eaten without excess. After all, we have a habit of harming ourselves, and then running to doctors and looking for solutions to health problems, although we could have avoided them in the first place.

Each of us has individual preferences in food, which are not always healthy or coincide with the tastes of the majority, but sometimes almost all of us like to eat something spicy.

Although spicy food is not always healthy, you should not completely exclude it from your diet, because its properties also have positive side. So what should we do? Read the article and understand, of course!

Tongue goes numb

After eating spicy food, the first “blow” is taken by the tongue. There is tingling, burning and numbness in the mouth. Spicy food actually doesn't hurt soft fabrics as it may seem. It's all to blame for the alkaloid capsaicin present in hot peppers, which reacts with receptors, making you feel the flame of a fiery dragon on your tongue.

Body temperature rises

Hot foods tend to increase thermogenesis. This means that every time you add tobasco to a dish, your temperature rises. This makes you sweat, your nose starts to drip, and your face turns red.

Endorphins for happiness

As soon as pain appears on the tongue, the brain reacts to a cry for help and sends a signal to other parts of the body. Comes into play nervous system and endorphins begin to be released. This is a protective reaction in response to stress, which is designed to dull the pain and give a feeling of happiness.

Heart rate increases

After the spoon spicy volume pit, you can feel your heart begin to beat faster, and this is not at all a figment of the imagination. From an acute illness, blood flow to the stomach increases, heartbeat and increases blood circulation throughout the body.

Seasonal allergies go away

In one of his interviews, the director of the Allergy and Asthma Center of New York, Clifford W. Bassett, said that the capsaicin in cayenne pepper and chili is one of the effective means for “clearing” the nose for seasonal allergy sufferers. According to him, at the height of seasonal allergies It’s worth revising the menu and including spicy dishes. Of course, hot sauce will not get rid of allergies, but breathing will become easier and easier for a while.

Increased salivation

In addition to the fact that capsaicin causes severe irritation the nasal mucosa begins to flow from it, just like with a cold, and the mouth also intensively fills with saliva. This is also a reaction to capsaicin: the body tries to get rid of it, which causes salivary glands work with redoubled force.

Weight loss

If you're trying to get in shape and are on a diet, it's time to add hot sauce to your diet. According to numerous studies, capsaicin increases body temperature and speeds up metabolism. This way, you burn more fat and your weight loss efforts are more productive than if you didn't have capsaicin-containing foods in your diet.

Heartburn appears

Spicy foods cause a burning sensation in the stomach, similar to that that occurs with heartburn. Sometimes, this is just a false sensation provoked by capsaicin in the esophagus. But in some cases the same unpleasant feeling- and there is real heartburn. That's because a feast of spicy food can cause capsaicin to cause the muscle valve at the top of your stomach to stay open too long, allowing acid to flow back into your esophagus. One way or another, if you decide to try something spicy, having antacids on hand will definitely not be superfluous.

Pressure decreases

One plate of spicy food will do nothing to regulate your blood pressure. But if you eat spicy food regularly for many years, then, according to research results, your blood pressure will decrease. Due to the cumulative effect, the vessels relax and the pressure decreases.

Almost every national cuisine has hot and spicy dishes in its arsenal. The purpose of spices is to enrich the taste of a dish, stimulate the appetite and create a feeling of warmth. However, is it worth eating spicy and spicy foods regularly? In this article we will talk about spicy and spicy foods, we will try to find out what is more of them: harm or benefit. Let's weigh the pros and cons.

Why do people in hot countries eat a lot of spicy foods?

This is explained by the fact that genetically the stomachs of residents of hot countries are more adapted and accustomed to eating spicy food. The walls of their stomachs are protected by a thickened layer of mucous membrane. It also protects against a variety of bacteria.

What is spicy food?

The heat that comes from our favorite hot peppers comes from capsaicin. This is a compound found in capsicums. The most common among them are Thai chili, serrano and others. In addition, capsaicin, which is contained in these peppers, has been studied for a long time.

However, you don't have to snack on chili peppers to experience the full power of these foods. Do not forget about all the variety of bright and delicious spices, for example, about turmeric, ginseng, black pepper, mustard, cloves, cardamom.

As you have already noticed, there are a large number of spices that can always add a little warmth to the dish you are preparing. In addition, they can become a kind of amplifier in your journey to healthy image life.

One of the subjects of controversy among nutritionists is spicy food. Benefits and harms: what is more from it?

The benefits of spicy food: pros

Many studies prove that certain spices that are added to a dish during the cooking process make the food healthier. That is, the influence of acute food is coming for the benefit of the body. This also applies to seasonings, which are considered the most “fiery”. What are the benefits of spicy food?

Weight loss

Spicy foods promote weight loss. This is due to the capsaicin component found in seasonings. It is able to speed up metabolism. There is no magic happening: this substance simply increases the heart rate and temperature.

In addition, eating a lot of spicy and spicy foods is quite difficult, so people who prefer them are more effective at controlling the number of calories they eat.

Improved blood circulation

Spicy foods are responsible for creating a feeling of warmth, and the release of adrenaline and dilation of blood vessels significantly lower blood pressure. In addition, hot peppers are effective remedy, which helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels due to great content vitamins C and A.

Improved digestion

Any food containing spicy spices stimulates the secretion of gastric juice. In turn, this helps restore the gastric mucosa and also improves blood flow to the walls of the stomach. In addition, the substance capsaicin, which is large quantities contains hot pepper, helps fight bacteria that can enter the digestive tract along with food.

Stimulation of appetite

Spicy foods increase appetite. However, despite this, spicy lovers very rarely overeat. This helps you control the calories you eat without any problems.

Limiting salt intake

Spicy foods help you consume salt in much smaller quantities, which is undoubtedly encouraged by medicine. This is due to the fact that it can easily be replaced with spices such as mustard, garlic, pepper, and ginger. This way you will add a unique taste to your dishes and will be able to forget about the salt shaker forever.

Help fight colds

Due to the fact that spicy and hot spices stimulate sweating, they reduce the discomfort that causes elevated temperature. In addition, spices and herbs help relieve nasal congestion and remove mucus from the bronchi.

Healthy sleep

Spicy food - prevention of insomnia. Its warming effect will help you quickly relax and fall asleep peacefully. And since a spicy food lover is not prone to overeating, a person will get a good night's sleep and wake up in the morning refreshed and ready for breakfast.

Stress management

Spicy food helps increase the level of pleasure hormones in the body - serotonin and endorphin. Such a meal will calm you down, reduce the effects of anxiety and stress, and also dull a mild headache.

Spicy food: harm, arguments against

Despite the fact that it is sharp and spicy food can bring obvious benefits to the body, doctors recommend using spices and herbs as carefully as possible, or even abandoning them altogether. Why? What dangers may await amateurs?

Heartburn

Hot and spicy foods cause the stomach to produce more gastric juice, which can lead to heartburn. That is, the release of stomach contents into the esophagus. In particular, this can happen after a heavy meal.

Gastritis

Large amounts of spicy food consumed can contribute to the development of gastritis. This is an inflammation of the stomach lining. This is usually caused by an infection. But if a person regularly irritates the walls of the stomach with hot and spicy spices, this can lead to their protective barrier being significantly reduced.

Bad breath

Spicy foods containing large quantities of onions and garlic cause bad breath. It's not easy to get rid of it. Therefore, before an important meeting, it is advisable to limit your addiction to dishes with these seasonings.

Damage to taste receptors

Disturbance in the functioning of taste buds can occur due to regular use spicy dishes. This also explains the addiction to hot spices and seasonings. In addition, because of this, interest in bland food decreases: people with damaged taste buds find it tasteless.

Is it possible to neutralize overly spicy foods?

There are products that can serve as neutralizers for hot spices.

In some cases, lemon helps successfully. He is able to switch from the perception of the hot taste of pepper to his sour taste.

Very hot peppers can be eaten with boiled rice. In this case, it acts as a sorbent that binds capsaicin and neutralizes it.

Conclusion: everything should be in moderation

Don't forget that although spicy and hot foods can significantly improve your health, you shouldn't overindulge in them. Remember that if during tasting similar food a person experiences pain, this is a signal from the body that something is going wrong and its normal functioning is disrupted.

It is extremely important to control the intake of hot seasonings for people who are hypersensitive to spicy tastes and those who have any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Learn to properly dose your consumption of spicy foods to enjoy the taste and get the maximum benefits for your health.