Each year on January 16, International Hot and Spicy Food Day celebrates all the delicious hot and spicy foods around the world. Every country on the globe has its cooking style and recipes. And while some nations eat mild food, others enjoy hot food items that will make you gulp down a jug of water.
There are lots of hot flavoured dishes available throughout the world, and this is a day for all of us who are crazy about eating too many spicy foods. These food items are good for health with lots of medicinal benefits. International Hot and Spicy Food Day celebrates both hot, spicy dishes and those eating it.
In celebration of this day, we look at some of the hot and spicy foods that could help burn some calories. When it comes to losing weight, food can be your friend, not just any type of food but hot and spicy food. Speaking to an internal medicine specialist, Dr Nhlakanipho Mkhize said that one of the most well-known health benefits of hot and spicy food is its ability to raise metabolism and thus burn extra calories.
Spices
“From cayenne to garlic to cinnamon, spices are one of the best ways you can keep your metabolic rates high. Especially speedy are the more pungent spices such as black pepper, mustard seeds, powdered onion and ginger. A Canadian study found that using spices enabled people to burn up to 1,000 more calories daily than those not incorporating spices into their diet,” said Mkhize.
Hot peppers
“Jalapeno, habanero, cayenne and other forms of spicy peppers directly boost metabolism and circulation. In fact, eating hot peppers not only speeds up your metabolism, it also reduces cravings. This is related to its capsaicin content, a compound that stimulates the body’s pain receptors, temporarily increasing blood circulation and metabolic rate. If you have ever experienced a bout of intense sweating after eating a particularly hot tamale, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, studies have shown that eating hot peppers can boost the metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike lasting for up to three hours,” he said.