A novel study proposed that foods that numb the mouth like burning chilli peppers could help in lower the blood pressure. It was found that active constituent which proved peppers with heat known as capsaicin also helps the blood vessels to calm down. For finding a link of capsaicin with blood pressure researchers done trail on mice in the lab.
When hypertensive mice were fed a diet rich in capsaicin found in chilli pepper by the research team from the Third Military Medical University in China. There was found a reduction in blood pressure over the time, reported the study published in the Cell Metabolism journal. The constituents work by triggering receptor channels found in the lining of blood vessels.
This escort to a increase in making of nitric oxide that is a gaseous molecule known to defend blood vessels against inflammation and dysfunction. This was not the first study that examined a molecular link between capsaicin found in chilli pepper and lower blood pressure, but previous studies were established on short term exposure to the chemical.
They did not consider long term cure with capsaicin on subjects with high blood pressure. Further studies would be required to see how many chillis would be needed to be eaten each day to have positive impact on individuals. High blood pressure or hypertension affected more and more people worldwide due to modern lifestyle.
The study leader Professor Zhiming Zhu demonstrated that twenty percent people lived in northern east part of china are affected by hypertension as compared to ten to fourteen percent who lived in southern west part of china where people eat hot and spicy food with a lot of chili peepers.