Burning Benefits
Thai food and other cuisines rich in chillies can boost health in many ways
- Published: 26 Feb 2013 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Life
It's hot, it heats and it hurts _ yet many people enjoy eating chillies, commonly found in Thai food. Such people must enjoy torturing themselves as these little balls of fire produce a burning sensation.
Thai chilli sauce can immediately burn when we pop a pinch of it into our mouths. A couple of minutes later, it leaves us with a hotter mouth than when we first tried it. By the time we finish the spicy dish, sweat is pouring down our faces and tears are welling up in our eyes. This might be one of the downsides of eating chillies. However, when eaten correctly, the positives overweigh the negatives because chillies provide many health benefits and promote well-being.
"Well, spiciness is in fact not a flavour, not like sweet, salty and sour," said Asst Prof Aikkarach Kettawan from Mahidol University's Institute of Nutrition.
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