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Why Do People Eat Spicy Food

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Submitted By iedaazni
Words 322
Pages 2
Spices; they come in a host of flavors, used in a variety of ways, and can be found in just about everything we eat. Whether it is the hot chili peppers or the ground substance we use to flavor our dishes, their use has become synonymous with the food signature of cultures around the world. Though the words hot and spicy are often used interchangeably, they may not always refer to the same thing. Wherein spice is a general term that pertain to any dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetable substance and is primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food (Wikipedia, 2014). Heat, on the other hand, is a more specific term associated with the pepper variety and other fruits that contain the active ingredient capsaicin, which is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), also known as the Scoville scale (eatmorechiles, 2014).

But why do people eat hot spicy foods? Whether they enjoy a little zing or crave the full burning sensation whenever they indulge in a hot dish; the answer may lie in several cultural and biological reasons. Cultures around the world have long valued food as part of their heritage. They incorporated spices to mark their flavor, resembling the cultural diversity, and even corresponding to the type environment where it has originated to some extent. We also take a look at some of the health benefits associated with eating spicy foods. Some research indicates that eating spicy foods can lower your calorie intake and speed up your metabolism, resulting in more calorie burn and weight loss (Wikipedia, 2014). Studies also show herbs and spices to have substantial vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant properties that helps facilitate nutrient absorption, and act as an anti-inflammatory agent, which in turn help fight diseases such as cancer and tumors (Mercola, 2014).

So is our choices to eat the hot stuff logically driven? Is it something we acquire as a result of...

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