Information and Articles
Love spicy food? Thank the bugs!
Ever wonder why chili peppers are hot, and why some are hotter than others? Well, new research shows the credit goes to insects and microbes.
Early in 2008, hot sauce fans, collectors, connoisseurs and judges assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 2008 Scovie Awards. All in all, there were more than 750 entries into this year's competition.
Originating from Central and South America, the hot pepper is nowadays cultivated worldwide for its food and therapeutic qualities. It is a 30-60 cm high annual herbal plant. It has got different variants, both with a sweet taste and especially with a hot taste.
Pouring Hot Sauce on your Wound: How Capsaicin is Changing Pain Relief
Capsaicin, a phytochemical in chili peppers, is currently being studied by scientists who believe that it may revolutionize the way we treat the pain felt by patients after having major surgery such as hip and knee replacement, largely because of its numbing and non-narcotic effect on the body.
Hot Chili Peppers to Tame Surgical Pain
Although anesthesia has been very helpful in keeping a patient asleep, immobile and out of pain during complicated surgeries, once the patient wakes up, it cannot do anything to curb the pain caused by cutting into the body. Scientists are now experimenting how a chemical from chili pepper can tame the pain of surgery.
