Spicy food good or not?.

I can think of no better way to ward off colds than mixing in a bit of chilli to soup/stew.
Definitely helps my sinuses.

good fresh wasabi will surely clean out the sinuses, but as to any over all health benefits I’ve yet to see long term studies that definitely prove cause/effect relationships. Though I do vaguely remember one about some curry compound being effective against cancer… I’ll try to find a link.

Though I’ll surely follow this question, I do love good sweat inducing curry now and then!

If you can, please post links to references :D

A connection has been made between the eating of the spice turmeric and a reduction in the occurence of Alzheimer’s disease but I imagine one would have to eat it very regularly to obtain the benefits. Spices were used in hot climates to dispell the taste of rotting meat and also to enable eaters to sweat themselves cooler. As @Sandydog says, it can clear out your sinuses. However, I wouldn’t force myself to develop a taste for spicy food if I really didn’t like it.

@Sandydog nailed it. Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I get out the crockpot and make my self a nice batch of green chile. The cold is gone, fast.

My tastes are for bland foods, not spicy. However, I understand Menudo is very good for hangovers, because the tripe causes you to sweat out the impurities in your system.

The hot chillies are great for cleaning out the sinuses. Don’t know about the other claimed benefits.

Spicy food and I don’t much agree with each other. My mantra is, if something is so spicy that all I taste is the spice, what’s the point? I do love wassabi with sushi and horseradish with prime rib. Mmmmm!

@filmfann: That is the key. Spicy foods help you sweat out impurities/toxins. I can certainly attest to this. Adding spices to your foods is good too because they can help you lose weight. This is coming from a psychological aspect. Adding spices to your food makes you aware of the food you are eating and therefore you will most likely eat less than if you do not add the spices.

The only bad thing I can think of of eating spicy foods (often) is that they can cause hemorrhoids/ulcers. My cousin developed a hemorrhoid from over indulging in the spiciness.

I agree that it is good for the sinuses. Hot & Sour Soup is my usual choice.

I grew up in the Midwest where vegetables come out a can and food is bland. Growing up, spicy food wasn’t my thing. Discovered spicy food when I moved to California. I always thought it was moving away from the capital of bland central that was the catalyst. Then I had kids. They didn’t like spicy food either. Our nanny at the time, Kayleen, told the kids that as you grow older your taste buds die off, so you can tolerate spicier foods (sure she made that up, but it was a good story). True to form, the older boy (now in his mid 20’s) actually eats real (spicy) food now. Maybe Kayleen was one to something after all…

my dad always said that eating peppers would make you a man

@cprevite Hot and Sour Soup made by a good chef (or by following Joyce Chen’s recipe)is a superb sinus cure. It also seems to ready the palate for the main course, especially Szechuan cuisine.

@warribbons, so you would suggest that women avoid peppers, then?

You might get more information with this similar question as well.

@cam6662 – your nanny didn’t make that up. As one ages, the taste buds’ abilities do diminish. It’s why so many older people complain that food tastes bland. I learned that in a nutrition class.

As for spicy food, I like some zing, but I don’t like food that strips a layer off my tongue!

I like spicy food, I don’t know if it makes me healthier or not, I just like it! But for me, the spices should enhance the flavor of the dish, not overpower it.

@CyanoticWasp no, my dad said it would make a man of ME

nothing about women or anyone else

I love spicy foods my tacos have to be spicy so does my chilli and my wings