What is HOT?

What is HOT?

Today I’m going to say a few words about a topic of high importance. There are questions that I’ve asked myself many times, and now I got the answers…and just in case you’re wondering too I want to let you know, so you won’t waste time figuring out: why is that we want the things that are HOT? 

If you happen to love chili peppers, you may have had the experience of reaching the point, in which your mouth is burning so much that small tears start falling from your eyes. Some peppers are uncomfortably hot and even a very small amount could cause actual pain.

Here are some hot questions “What is so HOT about chili peppers, why do we like the hot burning sensation and is this hotness useless?” . 

Chili peppers are known to be part of people’s diet (in America of course) for around 10 000 years. However, if you love chili peppers as much as I do, you may start celebrating Columbus Day, because Columbus was the first known European to be presented to chili peppers when he was in the Caribbean. After this point they were distributed around the globe. YAY!

Who is the hottest?

The world's hottest pepper has the respectable name: Trinidad Scorpion Butch T. What makes hot peppers hot are the substances called capsaicinoids. When they bind with the mouth pain receptors the brain receives message of the “hot event”.

However, the reason why we get actual pleasure out of this pain is because the response of the brain to this message is “raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and release of endorphins”. There’s the paradox- you’re burning but your body goes like: “YEAH!”.

Is the HOTNESS useless?

In defence of chili peppers, I’d say that their function is not to serve as a natural endorphin high only. Chili peppers contain many vitamins such as vitamin C,  carotene, B vitamins, high levels of potassium, magnesium and iron.
The Capsaicinoids in the chili are natural antioxidants and help protect against disease caused by toxins. They were also proven to reduce cancer cells and also have a preventative and healing role for a number of other diseases such as arthritis, high blood pressure, harmful bacteria, some skin conditions, common winter colds, just to name a few. Capsaicinoids in the chili peppers are also a muscle relaxants and a pain relievers. They also act as aphrodisiac and improve love life.

Chili peppers can warm you up in the cold winter days not only when you have them as your meal.  You can use the them in other ways such as the ancient Japanese recipe for cold feet with chili that is: 

Recipe

“Chilli Pepper Foot Bath - Togarashi - for Cold Feet

 Togarashi or red chili peppers can be used to warm up your feet and stimulate circulation.
Add hot water to a bowl or foot bath and add some dried red chili peppers to it. Sit and soak your feet in the water for about 10 min. Pat dry with a towel, and moisturize.” (If you decide to try this recipe, make sure that your skin is not irritated and that you're not using too hot chili. If you feel any discomfort rinse your feet immediately!)
(the recipe is from: http://www.naturaljapanesebeauty.com)

In Latin America women have also used it as a beautifier- applying a bit of chili mixed with raw honey on their lips, helps the blood go to the lips and consequently they look naturally red, hydrated and fuller. You can make this recipe on your own, but you may want to go for “LUSH”'s  ready to use lip balm with chili...

Anyhow, my point was that chili peppers rock! Hope you liked the HOT psychology & stuff posting. Have a great HOT day! See ya! :-)