I love spicy food–I tell my wife I enjoy it when my food bites me back. She and the kids are not into painful eating, although the oldest boy is starting to experiment. But now I have a reason to start cooking more to my taste than theirs: hot peppers are healthy!The heat of a pepper is measured in Scoville units, which directly relates to the pepper’s content of a chemical named capsaicin. Accodring to report from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, capsaicin can be used in treatments for a variety of medical conditions. This brings us to the habanero chili pepper, one of the hottest out there. The more familiar jalapeno pepper’s 5,000 to 15,000 Scoville units pails in comparison to 100,000 to 500,000 Scoville units boasted by the habanero. Now lets look at some of benefits of consuming such high doses of capsaicin.

Prostate Cancer

In a scientific study published by the Department of Hematology/Oncology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, it is demonstrated that the oral consumption of capsaicin slows down prostate cancer. And not by just a little bit, but significantly.

Obesity

Eating habanero peppers heats up more than your taste buds. Research indicates that capsaicin increases thermogenesis, the process by which the body uses heat to convert fat into energy. Eating nuclear hot peppers can lead to weight loss.

Helps With High Cholesterol

In a study published in the medical journal “Artery”, J. A. Negulsco detailed how capsaicin limits the amount of cholesterol the intestines can absorb. The study says the benefits com from a dily dose of 8mg of capsaicin, so munch some habaneros to decrease your risk of heart disease.

Lowers Blood Pressure

In June 2009, “Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry” published an interesting study on capsaicin, which shows us that eating habanero peppers can help to lower arterial blood pressure. Capsaicin increases the body’s levels of insulin-like growth factor, which reduces arterial blood pressure. The study goes on to show that eating hot peppers has no effect on subjects who do not suffer from high blood pressure.

The health benefits are clear: eating habanero peppers and lighting a veritable furnace on your tongue will help you live longer and more healthy. Try some habanero peppers in your cuisine today!