Ingredient in Hot Peppers Medically Useful, Say Experts
And it’s exactly that endorphin rush that makes capsaicin an effective remedy for pain and other medical conditions, researchers say.
“The endorphins work to block the heat. The body produces them in response to the heat, which it senses as pain,” said Paul Bosland, co-founder and director of New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute.
“It’s used for all kinds of arthritis pain, as well as for neuropathic pain and dermatologic conditions that have a painful itch,” said Dr. Ashwin Mehta, director of integrative medicine at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.
Capsaicin is also used by people with the skin disease psoriasis to decrease itching and inflammation, according to the university.
Some research has also suggested that capsaicin can also help with appetite suppression, but there are not yet any solid data to determine what role, if any, the chemical plays in weight loss.
Studies have also suggested that capsaicin may play help kill off prostate cancer cells.
“In test tubes, researchers found a correlation betwen increased cell death and capsaicin,” said Mehta.
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Scoville Scale
The method of testing a pepper’s pungency units invented by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. Mr. Scoville determined his test results by taking the extracts of many types of chili peppers and diluting them in a sugared water solution until none of the heat remained. The testing was accomplished by a panel of 5 “judges” who would taste these solutions and then tell Mr. Scoville when they no longer felt any heat. This testing was very subjective as your can imagine and results were not very consistent.
| Scoville Rating |
Type of Pepper |
| 15,000,000 – 16,000,000 |
Pure capsaicin (Unavailable through a natural grown plant and is only synthetically developed) |
| 8,600,000 – 9,100,000 |
Various capsaicinoids (e.g. homocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, norhydrocapsaicin) (Unavailable through a natural grown plant and is only synthetically developed) |
| 2,000,000 – 5,300,000 |
Standard U.S. Grade pepper stray, FN 303 irritant ammunition (Unavailable through a natural grown plant and is only synthetically developed) |
| 855,000 – 1,050,000 |
Bhut Jolokia aka Naga Jolokia (Hottest naturally grown pepper) |
| 350,000 – 580,000 |
Red Savina Habanero |
| 100,000 – 350,000 |
Habanero chili, Scotch Bonnet Pepper, Datil Pepper, Rocoto, Jamaican Hot pepper, African Birdseye, Madame Jeanette |
| 50,000 – 100,000 |
Thai Pepper, Malagueta Pepper, Chiltepin Pepper, Pequin Pepper |
| 30,000 – 50,000 |
Cayenne Pepper, Aji Pepper, Tabasco Pepper, some Chipotle pepper |
| 10,000 – 23,000 |
Serrano Pepper, some Chipotle peppers |
| 2,500 – 8,000 |
Jalapeño Pepper, Guajillo pepper, New Mexican varieties of Anaheim pepper, Paprika (Hungarian wax pepper) |
| 500 – 250 |
Anaheim pepper, Poblano pepper, Rocotillo Pepper |
| 100 – 500 |
Pimento, Pepperoncini |
| 0 |
No heat, Bell pepper |
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The Indian military has now a new weapon against terrorism: the bhut jolokia, the world’s hottest chilli.
The bhut jolokia was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world’s spiciest chilli. It is grown and eaten in the northeast for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles and a way to fight the crippling summer heat.
The thumb-sized bhut jolokia, or ghost chilli will be used to make tear gas-like hand grenades to immobilise suspects, defence officials said on Tuesday. Field tests have been conducted successfully.
Bhut jolokia has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chilli’s spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000.
“The chilli grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defence laboratories, a fact confirmed by scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organisation,” Col. R. Kalia, a defence spokesman said.
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For those with high blood pressure, chili peppers might be just what the doctor ordered, according to a study reported in the August issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication. While the active ingredient that gives the peppers their heat—a compound known as capsaicin—might set your mouth on fire, it also leads blood vessels to relax, the research in hypertensive rats shows.
“We found that long-term dietary consumption of capsaicin, one of the most abundant components in chili peppers, could reduce blood pressure in genetically hypertensive rats,” said Zhiming Zhu of Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China.
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Capsaicin, the stuff that gives chili peppers their kick, may cause weight loss and fight fat buildup by triggering certain beneficial protein changes in the body, according to a new study on the topic. The report, which could 
lead to new treatments for obesity, appears in ACS’ monthly Journal of Proteome Research.
Jong Won Yun and colleagues point out that obesity is a major public health threat worldwide, linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health problems. Laboratory studies have hinted that capsaicin may help fight obesity by decreasing calorie intake, shrinking fat tissue, and lowering fat levels in the blood. Nobody, however, knows exactly how capsaicin might trigger such beneficial effects.
In an effort to find out, the scientists
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