New Medical Research: Got an ulcer? Then eat chillies
(Daily Mail, Tuesday, July 11, 2006, p.44)
CHILLI is the hot tip for ulcer sufferers. According to a report, red chilli peppers don't cause stomach ulcers, as was previously believed, but can actually prevent or heal them.
Researchers says there is a misconception that chilli is bad for the stomach and that hot food causes heartburn, indigestion and ulcers. They say their studies show that chilli's hot ingredient, capsaicin, is protective. This is because it blocks acid production, stimulates alkali and improves blood flow in stomach tissue, which helps prevent and heal ulcers.
The scientists claim that other research shows that gastric ulcers are three times less common in countries where large numbers of chillies are eaten.
Their report, published in the medical journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, says capsaicin works by stimulating nerve cells in the stomach to build up protection against irritants that can cause ulcers.
They say overuse of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as alcohol, smoking and stress; have all been linked to the development of ulcers.