First of all, why are peppers so spicy?
Capsaicin, the core component of pepper, accounts for about 70% of pepper. Maybe many people think spicy is a kind of taste, but actually spicy is a kind of pain. Because the receptor of capsaicin acting on human body is called TRPV- 1, TRPV- 1 is a veritable pain receptor, which is distributed all over the human body. This receptor can produce pain and burning sensation after being stimulated by capsaicin. In addition, capsaicin can also release an analgesic substance-endocardine. Caffeine peptides can not only relieve pain, but also make people feel happy. So in the end, pepper will not only make people feel spicy (actually painful), but also make people feel "cool", which will make people addicted and truly painful and happy.
Second, can eating Chili peppers every day really fight cancer?
China Academy of Medical Sciences and Oxford University conducted a study in China, the main content of which was to study the relationship between pepper and digestive tract tumors (esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and intestinal cancer). The study included 500,000 people. Through long-term follow-up (the median follow-up time was 65,438+00.1year), the results showed that the risk of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and intestinal cancer decreased by 65,438+09%, 65,438+065,438+0% and 65,438 respectively. In addition, the study also shows that compared with people who don't eat spicy food every day or occasionally, the risk of oral cancer and throat cancer is reduced by 3 1%. At the same time, in vitro experiments show that capsaicin can induce apoptosis of tumor cells, at the same time, it can make tumor cells more sensitive to treatment and even inhibit cancer cell metastasis.
So, can peppers really fight cancer? Don't jump to conclusions yet. A study by Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine found that capsaicin can change the intestinal flora, destroy the intestinal barrier, and ultimately promote cancer metastasis. What we've always said is that toxicity without dose is hooliganism. Then let's see how much capsaicin was given to the mice in this study: 300mg/Kg. In this way, if converted into 60kg people, one day is about 18g capsaicin, and converted into pepper is about 3.6Kg pepper! Who can eat more than 7 kilograms of pepper a day? In 2006, researchers from Pennsylvania State University showed that capsaicin can reduce some apoptosis genes in breast cancer cells, which may enhance the proliferation ability of breast cancer cells. Of course, the dosage is also a problem. Spicy foods such as fresh peppers, dried peppers, Chili oil and Chili sauce all have strong protective effects. This burning sensation can not only protect our cardiovascular system, but also protect our digestive tract. ?
The benefits of eating spicy food
1. appetizing digestion
Capsaicin and pain can stimulate the brain to secrete dopamine and make people have an appetite.
Take multivitamins
Pepper is rich in vitamins, such as vitamins A, C, E and B, etc. The content of vitamin C per 100g fresh green pepper is 58 mg, and the content of bright red pepper is 86 mg, which is 4 times and 6 times that of tomato respectively. Dried peppers are rich in carotene and potassium. The potassium content of dried small red pepper is as high as 99 1 mg/100 g, which is 55 times that of fresh small red pepper.
Stop the pain
Capsaicin has many pharmacological effects, such as analgesia, anti-inflammation, itching relief, sterilization, treatment of frostbite, detoxification, expelling wind and removing dampness.
Step 4 help lower blood pressure
Spicy food can weaken the brain's thirst for salty taste, and excessive salt intake is a risk factor for many diseases such as hypertension. Appropriate increase of spicy food can be used as a daily intervention measure to control smoking and lower blood pressure.
relieve stress
The stimulation of "spicy" will prompt the body to secrete a lot of endorphins, which will make people feel happy. When the sense of stimulation fades, people's stress is also released, which is why many people like to eat spicy food when they are under great pressure. 、
In short, eating Chili peppers every day does have a certain anti-cancer effect, but with certain dosage requirements, the effect may not be as obvious as imagined. At the same time, the occurrence of cancer is the result of many factors, which cannot be generalized.
Third, why are we biased against peppers? Why is the result of the survey completely different from our feelings in life?
Many people think that pepper hurts people because they can directly feel the burning sensation from the mouth to the stomach after eating spicy food, and sometimes it will bring dull pain. They therefore come to the conclusion that eating too much spicy food can lead to gastritis or ulcer, so the stomach hurts. ?
For people with sensitive constitution or weak gastrointestinal function, pepper is really easy to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, causing discomfort such as stomach pain and diarrhea, but this cannot be equated with cancer. Take colon cancer as an example. Up to now, no research has proved that its occurrence is related to the love of Chili peppers. On the contrary, many studies have pointed out that colorectal cancer is more closely related to four factors: first, there is a family history of hereditary diseases of colorectal cancer or intestinal polyps, and about 1/3 of patients with colorectal cancer have a family history, especially those with onset age earlier than 45; Second, there are disease factors such as diabetes and obesity. The data shows that the risk of colon cancer in diabetic patients is about 3 times higher than that in ordinary people. Third, poor eating habits, love to eat red meat and processed meat, such as bacon and bacon. , may face a higher risk of intestinal cancer; Fourth, bad living habits, especially sedentary people, lack of exercise is a high-risk factor for inducing intestinal cancer, and it is also one of the main reasons for the gradual rejuvenation of patients with intestinal cancer.
Food irritation has never been the main cause of gastritis or ulcer. Studies have long shown that Helicobacter pylori and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the main causes of gastritis and ulcers. Eating spicy food causes stomachache, just like sprinkling salt on a wound. The original action of "salting" will not bring pain and injury, but with the wound, "salting" will make the pain of the wound more intense. Rather than saying that eating spicy food will lead to gastritis and ulcers, it is better to say that eating spicy food seriously stimulates our digestive tract with inflammation and ulcers and strengthens the symptoms. Finally, you can also look at the statistical map of gastric cancer distribution made by Peking University Cancer Hospital. This picture is enough to "correct the name" of pepper. -If eating spicy food causes cancer, then Sichuan and Chengdu will definitely not be the low-incidence areas of gastric cancer. ?
Fourth, do you eat Chili or not?
From the above research, there are still some disputes about whether pepper prevents or promotes cancer, and there is no very clear conclusion. But at present, it is no problem to eat some in moderation. We don't need to eat more spicy food or refuse to eat spicy food because of these studies, just treat it with a normal heart. You can eat some if you like. If you don't like to eat, you can't eat. After all, life is alive, and aesthetic food and love can't live up to it. But for people with gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastrointestinal ulcers and severe gastritis. You can eat less or eat less, or you can not eat or not eat.
Personal experience: Although eating Chili has many benefits, remember not to eat too much, otherwise it will really stimulate the gastrointestinal mucosa and induce gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, to eat spicy food, we should consider "doing what we can" according to our physical condition, illness and tolerance to spicy food.