Science is groovy and everything, but it can be annoyingly confusing when it comes to telling us what to eat. Today’s knotty conundrum: the chile. Is it an antioxidant-filled, pain-relieving wonder food? Or an addictive, deadly carcinogen? We took a look through the annals of science to produce this timeline of the chile’s best and worst moments.
1774: Hot sauce suggested to perk up languid appetites. (The History of Jamaica)
1810: Capsicum relieves gout and excites “torpid” body organs. (Medical Botany, Volume 1)
1847: Cayenne is suggested to treat asthma. (Consumption of the Lungs and Asthma, Arrested and Cured)
1861: Gargling with chiles cures laryngitis and relieves a sore throat. (The Floral World and Garden Guide, Volume 4)
1889: Chiles burn on the way in and on the way out. (A Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, Volume 2)
1899: Chiles are as addictive as “opium or ganja.” Also, they cause dyspepsia. (Pharmaceutical Journal)
1921: Medicinal capsicum should be of the “highest pungency.” (American Pharmaceutical Association)
1954: Capsicum lowers blood pressure and rectal temperature, increases intestinal activity and gustatory sweating. (British Journal of Pharmacology)
1965: Capsaicin stimulates respiratory neurons (the nerves that help us breathe). (Journal of Physiology)
1967: Capsaicin prevents neurogenic inflammation, the process that incites diseases like psoriasis, asthma, eczema, and migraines, among other things. (Journal of Pharmacological Chemotherapy)
1976: Red peppers (yes, specified: red) increase stomach acid. (Niger Medical Journal)
1980: Capsaicin—the active ingredient in chiles—inhibits absorption of sodium and glucose. (Journal of Pharmacobiodyn)
1994: Chiles may cause gastric cancer. (American Journal of Epidemiology)
1995: Capsaicin protects the stomach from aspirin-induced gastritis. (Digestive Diseases and Sciences)
1998: Capsaicin is an anti-carcinogen. (Mutation Research)
1999: Capsaicin decreases appetite in Japanese woman and energy in Caucasian men. (Journal of Nutrition)
2002: Red pepper powder is effective treatment of dyspepsia. (Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics)
2002: Chili powder does not trigger irritable bowel syndrome. (Indian Journal of Gastroenterology)
2003: Capsaicin inhibits growth of adult T-cell leukemia cells. (Leukemia Research)
2006: Regular ingestion of chiles induces gastric reflux. (Digestive Diseases)
2010: Capsaicin causes skin cancer, but the “molecular mechanisms” behind it remain unclear. (Cancer Research)
2010: Chiles lower blood pressure. (Cell Metabolism)
2012: Capsaicin does not cause cancer—and might even help prevent it. (Toxicologic Pathology)
2012: Blame bacteria-harboring chiles for Mexico’s endemic gastroenteritis (maybe). (Food Microbiology)
2012: Chiles prevent autoimmune diabetes. (Mucosal Immunology)
2012: Chiles contain potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that might make for useful drugs. (Journal of Ethnopharmacology)
2013: Capsaicin plaster may reduce nausea for patients undergoing thyroid surgery. (Korean Journal of Anesthesiology)
2013: Capsaicin has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. (African Health Science)
2013: Capsaicin patches may cause inflammation of eye. (Ocular Immunology and Inflammation)
2013: Topical application of capsaicin may lesson fat accumulation in liver. (Obesity Journal)
2014: Capsaicin patches relieve neuropathic pain. (Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders)
2014: Capsaicin may prevent obesity. (Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry)
2014: Capsaicin may relieve arthritis. (Journal of Drug Delivery)
So, there you have it. Over the centuries, the good news about chiles generally outweighs the bad—but chiles may harbor disease-causing bacteria and incite ulcers. Also, you don’t want to get capsaicin in your eye. Still, it’s nice that what scientists discovered in 1774 still holds true today—chiles definitely perk up languid appetites. Trust us, we’ve done the research.
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