If you’re worried about ulcers, spicing things up might be the last thing on your mind.Yet jalapenos, habaneros — all those super-spicy hot peppers that add kick to the wonderful Mexican fare many of us enjoy on Cinco de Mayo — contain powerful compounds that might actually help ulcers heal.Si, senora! That’s the counter-intuitive new finding from Hungarian researchers, who demonstrated a 70% reduction in the size of stomach ulcers when capsaicin was introduced into lab rat chow.
Capsaicin, the pungent chemical of chile and cayenne peppers, is known to stimulate sensory nerves in several tissues, including the mouth, eyes and stomach lining.So why might it help with ulcers? Researchers speculate that the pepper compound might reduce gastric acid secretions that injure the stomach lining — as well as increase blood flow, thus supporting the body’s natural healing mechanisms.