Hot Sauce Is Good For Your Health

Some people head to the store when they run out of toilet paper, remote control batteries, or light bulbs. I used to head to the store when I ran out of hot sauce, but I don't have to do that anymore. That's because I no longer run out of hot sauce. Now I stock up on the condiment and keep extra bottles on hand. I use hot sauce on foods for its many health benefits.

Hot sauce sales are on the rise. Just three years ago, the hot sauce market was $2.3 billion. It is expected to grow to more than $3.7 billion in the coming years. Somebody is consuming a lot of hot sauce, and it is not just me.

Hot sauces come in many varieties, including mild, fire, jalapeño, cayenne, and even x-rated hot sauces. They are made of chili peppers, vinegar, and salt to enhance the taste of bland foods and to add color to dishes ranging from eggs to chicken wings and fish.

Hot sauce is good, and it is good for you. It has health benefits considering it is made from peppers, a natural ingredient. Here are some surprising benefits of hot sauce that prove it should be your go-to condiment.

1. Full of capsaicin, antioxidants, and vitamins

Hot sauce is full of capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers that gives them their heat. When we eat something with capsaicin, arthritis is lessened, toothaches go away, and other aches leave our body.

Hot sauce gives foods an extra kick and adds nutritional value with Vitamin A and C, folate, magnesium, and potassium. Hot sauce is very low in calories and free of carbs, fat, and protein.

2. Reduces inflammation and improves digestion

The spiciness can help stimulate stomach secretions, which aid your digestion. Capsaicin has an anti-inflammatory property.

3. Good for your heart

The American Heart Association suggests that spicy foods are good for your heart based on a study with over half a million participants who ate chili peppers regularly. They had a 26 percent relative reduction in cardiovascular mortality and a 25 percent relative reduction in all-cause mortality.

4. May reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes

The capsaicin contained in hot sauce helps prevent hyperinsulinemia, a condition where your body has excess insulin levels. Hot sauce helps balance those high insulin levels in consumers.

5. Can clear up a cold

Some people report that they have fewer colds when they eat spicy foods on a regular basis. Even if you do get a cold, the spiciness of hot sauce can help your cold be more manageable. Also, spicy foods can help clear up your sinuses.

6. Helps with weight loss

If you are having a hard time losing those extra pounds, eat hot sauce. It is known to help people lose weight and maintain it. Research suggests that spicy food may boost metabolism and lower cholesterol. It also showed that capsaicin lowers a hormone that increases appetite and increases a hormone that suppresses appetite. Try consuming hot sauce on a few meals and see how quickly you will see an improvement in your eating pattern and a lower number on your scales.

7. Makes you happy

When you eat spicy foods, your body releases endorphins, which help reduce your perception of aches, pain, and stress. Hot sauce can actually help you become a happier person.

8. Could help you live longer

Medics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that capsaicin slows the growth of cancer cells. Additionally, this Harvard Study found that participants who ate spicy food three or more times a week had a reduced risk of death by 14 percent, compared to those who didn’t.

Final Words

Hot sauces are reasonably priced. Prices range from $1.29 to $4.59 per bottle depending on the size. Even if you don't like the very hot and spicy hot sauces, there are some less spicy ones that can still add enticing flavors to your food and provide some health benefits. I encourage you to try hot sauce and become a hot sauce lover like I am.

If you like what you read in this article, a tip in any amount would be appreciated to help me keep hot sauce in my kitchen cabinet.