[CH] [Fwd: thought my chilehead friends would get a chuckle out of this

Doug Irvine (dougandmarie@shaw.ca)
Wed, 07 Sep 2005 11:51:05 -0700 

Forwarded on behalf of Mary-Anne Durkee


  I still can't post on CH so maybe you could pass this on if you think
  it would be of interest.


   


  Chile pepper diet, not a hot choice, won't burn calories


Q: I am typing this at a coffee bar with a group of friends. We are 
having a discussion about hot peppers. Irrespective of whether there is 
any logic to it, the prevailing opinion here is that eating hot food 
such as cayenne, jalapeno, habanero or serrano peppers will increase 
your thermal metabolic temperature, and this will cause you to burn 
calories (fat) more rapidly. Have you heard anything like that? If so, 
please respond before I burn the lining out of my intestines.

A: Capsicum is the botanical family that peppers belong to, and 
capsaicin (cap-SAY-sin) is the key compound in peppers that is 
responsible for their fiery taste. Hot peppers have been used for their 
curative properties by a number of ancient cultures, and capsaicin is 
now being investigated to see how it works. There are a number of 
encouraging results, many involving some aspect of the way capsaicin 
binds with nerve receptors. I am unaware, however, of any research that 
hints that capsaicin might have an ability to encourage the body to burn 
fat more rapidly. Any perspiration you might experience when you eat 
fiery hot, spicy foods does not come as a result of "burning" large 
quantities of calories, whether they come from fat, carbohydrate or 
protein. If you have been eating those hot, hot foods, I hope you've 
been doing so because you enjoy the taste.

Your comments raise a good point, namely that peppers should be handled 
with caution. They contain an oil-based resin that can be quite 
irritating, if not downright dangerous, to eyes, mucous membranes and 
sensitive skin. Keep in mind that capsaicin serves as a base for many 
self-defense sprays.

Warnings aside, peppers come in a wide variety of flavors, much more 
than simply hot and not-hot, and they make wonderful additions to many 
dishes. There are numerous cookbooks and an entire magazine and Web site 
(www.chilepepper.com <http://www.chilepepper.com/>) devoted to their 
culinary uses.



*/Mary-Anne/*

/*"I feel a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent **cook* 
<http://www.foodreference.com/html/qcooks.html>* can play each time with 
a variation."*/

*Madame Benoit
*