Hot Pepper Spices

Biting into a hot pepper can cause your taste buds some serious pain, but chomping into that chili could also help you live longer. Medical author Dr. Melissa Conrad Stoppler says on MedicineNet.com that hot peppers can decrease pain and increase endorphin levels, not only making you healthier, but happier too. So, spice-up your diet; your mouth may hate you, but your body and your spirit will reap the benefits.

History of Peppers

• Chili peppers originated in Central and South America.

  Hot peppers have been used in cultures around the world for centuries. Originating in Central and South America, chili peppers were first used for healing and decoration by the Aztec, Incan and Mayan civilizations before becoming a recognized food source worldwide. According to WHFoods, explorers Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan are credited with introducing chili peppers to the European, African and Asian continents in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Combination of Spices

• Turmeric is commonly used in curry dishes.

  What gives peppers and pepper-spice combinations that fiery kick is also what makes them healthy. A chili pepper's main active ingredient is the chemical capsaicin. You can't smell capsaicin and it doesn't taste like much, but pain receptors in your mouth will feel the heat.

  Used along with peppers in Middle Eastern, Indian and South Asian curries and sauces, turmeric, from the rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant, is a pungent, slightly bitter spice. Its chief chemical, curcumin, is studied as a preventative against cancers and cardiovascular and neurological diseases, according to the George Mateljan Foundation.

Health Benefits

• Eating chili peppers kills the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

  There are many health benefits to eating hot peppers and spices. According to WHFoods, capsaicin, found in chili peppers, reduces blood cholesterol, clears sinuses and boosts immunity. Peppers are also a rich source of vitamin A.

  A University of California Los Angeles study, published by the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in April 2006, showed curcumin can reduce the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Spice Up Your Diet

• Add cayenne pepper to your diet in small amounts.

  Not all of us are spice connoisseurs, but there are easy ways to add some heat to your diet. Pinches of cayenne pepper can spice up a barbeque sauce, or adding it to hot chocolate makes a traditional Mexican treat.

  For those who want to expand their pepper palate, try some of the hottest and most exotic peppers on Earth, like the Scotch bonnet used in Jamaican jerk chicken or the piri-piri pepper, also known as the African devil.