Capsaicin and the Stomach

Almost everyone is told that consuming capsaicin causes stomach problems, but the opposite is true. What is capsaicin? Capsaicin is found in chili peppers which originated in Latin America; due to it pungent flavor was traded by Spanish and Portuguese explorers during the sixteenth century to Europe and Asia and is now one of the essential spices in the world. Chili peppers have been used for centuries in the seasoning of food, but recently, scientists have started using it for medical purposes. Many speculate that capsaicin helps improve and treat various health problems, some as simple as headaches to cancer and that it can promote blood circulation, maintain weight loss, and prevent the deterioration of the lining of the stomach. Scientists have found that capsaicin, the chemical compound found in peppers that give it the pungent flavor, actually strengthens the lining of the stomach. Although it has been believed that chili peppers cause various stomach problems, scientists have conducted many studies that show that not only does the consumption of chili peppers prevent gastric ulcers from developing but strengthens the lining and could even be used to treat gastric cancer.

It has been long believed that the consumption of capsaicin caused gastric ulcers and cancer. Although it is true that consuming it in large amounts cause stomach-ache and constipation, the consumption of any food in overwhelming amounts can cause stomach-ache because as the saying goes ‘too much of one thing is good for nothing.’ In data collected about patients that suffer from gastric ulcers it was found that the most affected are Chinese, since their intake of capsaicin is almost nonexistent. On the other hand, ethnic groups like Malaysians, ...

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...ld. It has not been until recently that scientists have started to find other ways to use it. Whether it is used to ease pain or even help prevent cancer, capsaicin is being proven to be beneficial. It is astounding how something as universal as a chili pepper could be so useful, whether it be added to food to give a little pungent flavor, or its capsaicin used someday to treat and prevent some of the most lethal diseases.

Works Cited

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/capsicum

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hot+peppers+cause+ulcers+and+other+stomach+problems,+right%3F+Wrong!...-a0168748165

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16621751

http://cms1.daegu.ac.kr/_upload/PDSBoard_01/PDSBoardDocs_10/jwyun/534/Justine%20Chow,%20Manith%20Norng,%20Jing%20Zhang,%20Jianyuan%20Chai.pdf