The burn you feel from eating a hot pepper is caused by the pepper's 'active ingredient', capsaicin. Recent research published by Scientific American (www.scientificamerican.com) indicates that capsaicin may be beneficial in helping to reduce high blood pressure. While it causes the lips to burn and the eyes to water, researchers have found that capsaicin actually causes blood vessels to relax, thanks to increased production of the signaling molecule nitric oxide. At least that's what has been noted in the rodents that are used for testing. More testing is needed, but there seems to be a strong link here.
So have a pepper!
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