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Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science
Spice It Up for a Healthy StartNutrition Scientists Say, “Spice it up!”- Adding Certain Spices to a Fatty Meal Can Balance Out Harmful EffectsThis div will be replaced
December 1, 2011 Nutrition scientists found that adding spices to a meal could help balance out the harmful effects of fatty foods. Levels of a specific type of fat will rise in the blood after a high-fat meal, increasing the risk for heart disease. Adding spices like turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, paprika, and cloves reduces those fats in the blood by 30 percent. Researchers believe this effect occurs because the spices have naturally occurring antioxidants, which are known to provide protection against harmful substances in foods. Science InsiderHOT STUFF: Capsaicinoids are the compounds that give chili peppers their spicy taste. They bond with pain receptors in the mouth and throat, producing a burning sensation in the tissue. Then the receptors send a message to the brain, which triggers increases in heart rate and perspiration, as well as the release of endorphins (which are also released in other situations that play with the sensations of pleasure and pain, such as the runner's high). The units used to describe the heat of a pepper are called Scoville heat units (SHU). Bell peppers rank 0 SHU, jalapenos 3,000-6,000, habaneros 300,000, and the naga jolokia (a pepper from India) ranks the highest, with over 1,000,000 SHU.
More information on this storyOn The Web: Antioxidant spices reduce negative effects of high-fat meals To Go Inside This Science: Ann C. Skulas-Ray, PhD |
