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Are hot chilli peppers good for you?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2013

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In a nutshell

Chilli peppers contain capsaicin, for which there are specific receptors in nerves which not only transmit pain, but also initiate neuroendocrine responses.

Chilli has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and anti-cancer actions. In the gut it is generally more protective than it is irritant. Capsaicin is also used as a ‘local anaesthetic’ for neuropathic pain.

Type
Brief Report
Information
Arbor Clinical Nutrition Updates , Volume 275 , April 2007 , pp. 1 - 4
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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