VALO'S ARCHIVE

Capsaicin  is the main ingredient behind the “hot” in chili peppers. When consumed in a somewhat diluted form,  capsaicin  has a myriad of health benefits. Some of these include the treatment of nerve disorders and neuropathy,  pain  relief, and  psoriasis  treatment.  Capsaicin  is also known to improve the metabolism. Capsaicin is the major ingredient in hot peppers ( R ). Introduction Capsaicin may promote vascular and metabolic health by improving  cardiac hypertrophy ,  metabolic syndrome ,  hypertension ,  obesity , and gastric ulceration. Capsaicin may be used as a treatment for different forms of  cancer  through apoptosis induction, and may also be a useful treatment for  psoriasis . There is a capsaicin receptor expressed by primary sensory neurons in the  pain  pathway. In vitro, mice without this receptor had impaired  pain  sensation ( R ). The Biological Mech...

When it comes to food, there are two types of people in this world: those who EAT TO LIVE and those who LIVE TO EAT. I, unapologetically, belong to the second group. I am a foodie through and through! If I hadn’t become a scientist, I would have become a chef or a baker. Whenever I’m having a bad day, food has the ability to cheer me up. When I’m having a great day, food is how I celebrate. My favorite foods have generally included anything that is fried, but recently I’ve acquired a craving for all things spicy, especially peppers. A few years ago, I swore up and down that spicy food was not for me! “I would have to be insane to want to eat something so spicy it brings me to tears,” I would tell my now hubby, who has always had an affinity for spicy foods. Inevitably, he got me to try a spicy dish that he ordered and my life changed. I’m not going to lie, that first taste was rough. My mouth and lips were on FIRE!! I probably downed a whole glass of cold water to get any kind of r...