If you know me, you know I LOVE spicy foods. Hot curries, jalepenos, chipotle tabasco sauce, onions, and red pepper flakes are a regular part of my diet. Though I'm sure that one day my stomach will start protesting my intense love of these foods, I eat at least 3-4 meals per week that have a little kick.
Did you know that spicy/hot foods are actually good for your brain? For years, numerous studies have shown that spicy foods release endorphines in the brain and can even help ward off Alzheimer's Disease. Your metabolism can also be stimulated by spicy/hot foods. We can thank capsaicin, the element that makes spicy foods spicy, for these awesome benefits. Of course, the more capsaicin that is in your dish, the spicier the dish will be.
I've even read that Alzheimer's Disease has a very low occurence in India and Thailand, where spicy foods and curries are more prominent. Of course, this could be attributed to many other factors as well, including the state of the land the food is grown in, whether or not pesticides are used in food production, regional diet trends/habits, genetics. Personally, while enjoying green curry with steamed tofu (no fish sauce) cooked
Thai hot from
Sweet Basil (the
best restaurant in Greenville, in my opinion), I also get a little satisfaction knowing I'm doing my brain some good, too!
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