Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Spicy food: Is it harmful or healthy?

“Much of the research on spicy foods focuses on capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick.”

Spicy food: Is it harmful or healthy?

Spicy food has proven to help people who consume a regular well-balanced diet and exercise, to lose weight, the Cleveland Clinic states.

According to the experts, it also helps boost the metabolism.


The medics explain, "Much of the research on spicy foods focuses on capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick."

Additionally, "Some of that research has found that capsaicin boosts the body’s ability to break down fat and burn more energy."

Therefore, there’s also evidence that spicy food not only helps you to lose weight, but it can also help to boost your heart health and (surprisingly) aid your gastrointestinal system.

What’s more, research shows that those who eat more spicy foods are less likely to be obese or overweight.

Research also reportedly states that the center in your brain (the hypothalamus) - which regulates when you're full, is stimulated by capsaicin, which is an active chemical component of chili peppers.

So, by adding some spicy foods into your regular diet more often, you could actually rev up your metabolism and reduce your appetite, The Sun said.

Patricia Bridget Lane, a registered dietitian/nutritionist, in an earlier report told Cleveland Clinic, “People who eat a diet rich in spicy foods tend to eat less food overall throughout the day.”

By helping break down the fats in foods, spicy food may boost heart health as well. In fact, some studies have shown that spicy foods may even reduce the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes, Cleveland Clinic informs.

A study from the University of Vermont also reportedly found that those who regularly ate hot red chili peppers had a 13% reduction in the instantaneous hazard of death.

Additionally, it was found that those who ate chili peppers were less likely to die of cardiovascular causes like heart attacks and stroke.

Thus, "In this large population-based prospective study, the consumption of hot red chili pepper was associated with reduced mortality."

So overall, "Hot red chili peppers may be a beneficial component of the diet," The Sun states.

There’s evidence that capsaicin may even be good for the microbiome in your gut.

The Sun informs, spicy foods in moderation can help boost your microbiome (the diversity of bacteria in your gut), which is responsible for your immune system, energy, and countless other aspects of your health.

“Capsaicin can stimulate a healthy gut flora and have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract,” Patricia informs.

In addition, capsaicin can help fight low-grade inflammation in the gut (the type of inflammation that has been linked to obesity), Cleveland Clinic explains.

Despite the health benefits, Patricia cautions that those who are not used to eating spicy food, should start slow.

“You don’t necessarily need a lot of spice to reap the benefits,” she said.

“But no matter how much spice you add, remember that the goal is still a balanced diet.”

More For You

Brothers deny assaulting police during Manchester Airport brawl

Photo for representation. (iStock)

Brothers deny assaulting police during Manchester Airport brawl

TWO brothers accused of assaulting a man inside a Starbucks and later attacking police officers at Manchester Airport are standing trial, with the prosecution arguing they used "unlawful and extreme violence".

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his older brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, both from Rochdale, are said to have acted aggressively on July 23 last year while at the airport to pick up their mother, who had arrived on a flight from Qatar.

Keep ReadingShow less
Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case
Bhim Kohli

Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case

THE seven-year prison sentence handed to a 15-year-old boy convicted of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Bhim Sen Kohli is to be reviewed under the UK’s Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Friday (5) that the teenager’s sentence will now be considered by the Court of Appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attends a prayer meet held for his long life at the Dalai Lama temple in the northern hill town of Dharamshala, India, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

THE Dalai Lama said on Saturday (5) he hopes to live until he is more than 130 years old, two decades longer than his previous prediction, following his assurance to followers that he would reincarnate as the spiritual head of the faith upon his death.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner was speaking during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday (6), and as China insists it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama told Reuters in December he might live to 110.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave by mid-July

Daytime temperatures meeting or exceeding set thresholds of 25°C

iStock

Met Office warns of potential third UK heatwave by mid-July

Key points

  • Met Office forecasts rising temperatures by mid-July
  • Possible third heatwave after record-breaking June
  • High pressure system likely to bring hot air from the Atlantic
  • Yellow rain warning and flood alerts issued in parts of Scotland and Cumbria

Possible heatwave to return by mid-July

The UK could experience its third heatwave in a month by mid-July, the Met Office has said. Forecasters expect rising heat and humidity during the second weekend of July, following two weekends of unusually warm weather in late June.

June was officially the hottest on record in England, and the return of high temperatures could mean another heatwave for parts of the country. However, the Met Office cautioned that it is too early to confirm how hot conditions will get.

Keep ReadingShow less
crypto

Two men have been jailed for defrauding investors of £1.5 million through a fake crypto investment scheme. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Two jailed over £1.5m crypto investment scam

TWO people who duped investors of £1.5 million by selling fake investments in crypto have been jailed for 12 years, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.

Raymondip Bedi, of Bromley, and Patrick Mavanga, of Peckham, conned at least 65 people by cold-calling them between February 2017 and June 2019. They operated companies including CCX Capital and Astaria Group LLP.

Keep ReadingShow less