Some persons love their meals spicy, while some do not. While there are a couple of condiments
you can add to your dish to smack some taste into it, hot sauces seem to be a favorite! Whether
used when cooking or right before you dig into your noodles, a good shake of hot sauce always
brings the heat!
Like every other thing you eat, hot sauce does have an impact on your body’s metabolism. Just
immediately after you take a bite or sometime in the future, a whole lot can happen in your body.
Here are the sweet things and not so sweet things about taking hot sauce! If you are a lover of hot
sauce, you might want to love it a little bit more. But if you are a newbie, take a seat as I
introduce you to the wonders of hot sauce!
Your tongue might be on fire
Talk about sweet pain! Some persons just love the burn! But you do not always have to burn
while taking hot sauce. If you’ve ever had a bite of raw chili pepper, then maybe you are already
familiar with this pain. However, not all hot sauces are that hot! Some just give you the right
amount of flavor and heat without burning your tongue.
But not to worry, hot sauces do not cause any damage to your tongue. Your tongue may burn for
a few minutes but your tissues are well intact. However, if you like to have some heat but not for
long, a sip of milk always cools the tongue.
That characteristic burning sensation comes from the spice inducing molecule found in chili
peppers called capsaicin. When you take hot sauce this spice-inducing molecule binds to the pain
and temperature receptors of your tongue, then you feel the heat! Even though you are just fine.
Thermogenesis happens to you
Don’t rack your brain over it. It’s simply the production of heat in your body. When you take a
bite of something spicy, your internal temperature rises. This means that you may get a runny
nose, your face or other parts of your body may turn red, you may also sweat. This is due to the
rush of blood into your capillaries. Nothing to worry about. If you have nasal congestion, a hot
meal might do you some good. Just make sure you have some tissues handy.
Hot sauces are a mood lifter
There is just something extra asides the burn! After you experience the explosion of heat on your
tongue, your body’s nervous system release endorphins.
Endorphins are hormones that make you happy. Yup! They also help you cope with the pain by
making the nerves on your tongue more tolerant. So there’s just excitement with the heat.
It increases your heart rate
When you eat a “hot” meal, the amount of blood flowing towards your stomach increases. It also
increases overall blood circulation which causes your heart rate to increases. So don’t be
surprised if your heart pounds a bit faster than usual. Exciting right?
Hot sauces will make your mouth water
You’re not only going to deal with a runny nose, but you might also want to keep a napkin close.
Your body has its coping mechanism and to deal with all that capsaicin, your mouth will produce
enough saliva to clear out the pain.
Hot “hot sauce” might give you a heartburn
If you’re one who is prone to heartburn, you might want to avoid a hotter than hot sauce like the
911 sauce. You can opt for less hot sauces! (Good thing is, there are a variety of hot sauces in
that category).
The initial sensation you feel in your chest may not likely be heartburn. It’s most likely the
capsaicin binding to the receptors in your throat. However, it can also lead to heartburn when the
capsaicin causes the muscular valve of your stomach to stay open for long.
This allows acid to move into the esophagus and the result is a HEARTBURN. So, you might
also want to keep an antacid handy if you’re going to try a hotter than hot sauce!
Hot sauce will help clear out seasonal allergies
A study has shown that the capsaicin in chili pepper and cayenne help clear up congestion. So, if
you experience seasonal allergies, some hot chicken soup might help!
You will lose some weight.
Hot sauce slows down your food intake. So, you don’t get to eat so much! Asides that, the
capsaicin increases your body metabolism which helps you burn more fat and makes your weight
loss more successful. So, it adds that flavor and heat but no extra calories!
Hot sauces help maintain your blood pressure!
Ok, this doesn’t happen after one meal, certainly! But, a study has shown that eating hot meals
over time affects your blood pressure. The capsaicin molecule helps your blood vessels relax,
lowering your overall blood pressure.
It might seem weird since hot sauce sends you running all over the place. But the study has also
shown that capsaicin present in chili peppers and cayenne promotes the release of nitric oxide in
the blood. This helps lower your overall blood pressure.
It suppresses prostate cancer cells
Of course, this doesn’t happen all at once, but over time you can see the effect. A study has
shown that capsaicin helps inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in the prostate. Considering the
projection that 14% of men in the US are likely to have prostate cancer in their lifetime, you
might want to add hot meals to your food regime. After all, you have everything to benefit!
The hot sauce helps you live longer
Ok, as farfetched as that might sound, its something to take note of. According to data from a
study carried out by BMJ on a large population, it was discovered that there is a correlation
between longevity of life and consumption of spicy meals ( after adjusting for other risk factors
of course).
So, thanks to Mother Nature! There’s so much health benefit with that heat!
Are you a lover of hot meals? Or you’re just curious as to the benefits? We hope you’ll see more
reasons to join us in our club of hot sauce lovers.
Cluckster’s hot sauces just give the right amount of flavor and heat that anyone would fall in
love with. Good thing they come in so many varieties!
Do share these benefits with your friends!