Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Eat chiles, be happy: IMSS specialist compares effect to that of opioids

It might sound counterintuitive, but the spiciest and hottest chiles will give consumers the greatest sense of well-being.

A gastroenterologist at the IMSS health service says eating chiles can produce a feeling of euphoria very similar to that produced by opioids.

Héctor Gómez Jaramillo explained that eating chiles stimulates the release of endorphins, a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system that inhibit the communication of pain signals.

He said consumption of chiles also protects against cholesterol and is effective against rheumatism due to their capsaicin content.

Capsaicin is one of the substances that make chiles hot and is also an effective analgesic.

Heart disease and strokes worsened by elevated heart pressure can also be prevented by chiles, a low-calorie food that stimulates metabolism.

Gómez did point out the drawbacks of eating a lot of chile peppers, which include damage to organs such as the rectum and the colon and irritation of the mucous membranes, diarrhea, bloating and pain.

So eat chiles and be happy, but only in moderation.

Source: El Financiero (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
people releasing fish in shallow water

Environment Ministry releases 40,000 baby totoaba into the Gulf of California

0
The Environment Ministry, working with the private sector and civil society, has been conducting a repopulation project that included the recent release of 40,000 hatchlings.
crematorium in Ciudad Juárez

2 arrests made after 383 bodies found piled up at Ciudad Juárez crematorium

0
The crematorium, which had the permits to operate, was housing corpses for as long as five years and reportedly gave relatives of the deceased "other material" in place of ashes.
a person registering their fingerprints

Senate grants Security Ministry broad data access powers, sparking ‘police state’ fears

8
The federal government argues that the National Investigation and Intelligence System Law, popularly referred to as the "Spy Law," is required to bolster the state's capacity to combat organized crime.