Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Hillary Clinton and Peppers
“I eat a lot of hot peppers,'’ she told CBS News anchor Katie Couric, who had asked her how she maintains her stamina on the campaign trail. “I for some reason started doing that in 1992, and I swear by it. I think it keeps my metabolism revved up and keeps me healthy.” Nutritionists say Mrs. Clinton may be on to something. Although the scientific study of hot peppers is limited, there are some suggestions that capsaicin, the active ingredient in peppers, has numerous health benefits.
For starters, peppers contain several important nutrients, including beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin C, said Jonny Bowden, a board-certified nutritionist and author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.'’ In fact, peppers contain about twice the amount of vitamin C found in citrus fruits, which may help explain why they have emerged as a popular home remedy for fighting colds
Much of the research on capsaicin involves pain relief, and capsaicin is a common ingredient in over-the-counter pain creams. The analgesic effect of the capsaicin found in peppers may help explain why Mrs. Clinton believes it makes her feel better.
Labels: capsaicin, health food, Hillary Clinton, hot peppers, red peppers, Vitamins
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Chiles - A Healthy Hot!
For many of us, the heat of the pepper is what makes it such a palate pleaser. But peppers also have a lot going for them nutritionally — they are good sources of vitamin C, beta carotene, folic acid, magnesium and potassium.
Peppers and capsaicin also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which might reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and other chronic diseases that occur with age. Chile-laden meals have been shown to boost energy expenditure in several human trials. I n one study, for instance, 10 grams of dried hot pepper added to breakfast increased energy expenditure by 23% immediately after the meal and for more than two hours afterward. And a study published last year in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that regular chile consumption interferes with a step in the development and progression of atherosclerosis: the oxidation of lipoproteins in the blood.
When you're eating a pepper and the burn gets to be too much, it's natural to want to douse the flame with water or soak it up with a bland bite of bread. But these things won't work well. Capsaicin is bound tight to nerve receptor sites in the taste buds and is not water soluble. It does mix with fats, oil and alcohol — which may explain why beer makes a better chile chaser than water. The best fire quencher, though, is milk.
LA Times
Peppers and capsaicin also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which might reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and other chronic diseases that occur with age. Chile-laden meals have been shown to boost energy expenditure in several human trials. I n one study, for instance, 10 grams of dried hot pepper added to breakfast increased energy expenditure by 23% immediately after the meal and for more than two hours afterward. And a study published last year in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that regular chile consumption interferes with a step in the development and progression of atherosclerosis: the oxidation of lipoproteins in the blood.
When you're eating a pepper and the burn gets to be too much, it's natural to want to douse the flame with water or soak it up with a bland bite of bread. But these things won't work well. Capsaicin is bound tight to nerve receptor sites in the taste buds and is not water soluble. It does mix with fats, oil and alcohol — which may explain why beer makes a better chile chaser than water. The best fire quencher, though, is milk.
LA Times
Labels: capsaicin, chiles, health food, nutrition
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
HERE'S THE SECRET INGREDIENT TO A HOT FACE
May 1, 2007 -- A New Jersey hot-sauce guru claims he's found a ground breaking wrinkle remedy - the same ingredient that puts the scorch in his sauces.
Blair Lazar, who makes the nuclear "Blair's Death Sauces" line, has unveiled a new skin-cream, Biocap, whose key ingredient is capsaicin, the element that makes hot foods hot. And he swears the potent product - inspired by a lab accident - works wonders on sagging skin.
"There's nothing like this on the market," he boasts. "Even Botox doesn't do what this does for skin tone."
Not a novel claim, but a top Manhattan dermatologist, who skeptically gave Biocap a test run at The Post's request, said she was "surprised and impressed" at its effectiveness.
Dr. Laurie Polis, of SoHo Skin & Laser Dermatology, tested it on herself and three others, and says that while one quit when her skin grew irritated, all three others achieved meaningful results.
"I absolutely did see improvement in the texture, tone and clarity of the skin," says Polis. "There was improved hydration and a decrease in wrinkling."
As for why it works, the simple answer is that capsaicin is a vasodilator, increasing blood flow to the skin. This not only offers direct benefits, says Lazar, but allows the other active ingredients to work better.
Lazar, 37, came up with the idea several years ago, after he accidentally took a blast of capsaicin to the face while working in the lab. His face was irritated for days, "but on the third day, I noticed that my crow's feet were gone, and my skin was tight. I was like, huh, this is interesting."
He did some Googling, and found capsaicin had never been used for skin. Still, getting into cosmetics sounded like too big a stretch for the gravel-voiced Jersey Shore native.
"I was like, what am I, Chanel?" he says. "I'm a hot sauce guy."
But he couldn't let the idea go, and began pondering how a known irritant could be turned into a pain-free cream. To that end, he approached a dozen scientists, whose general reaction, he says, was: "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."
One cosmetics-industry veteran bit, though, and the two spent more than two years developing the final (pain-free) product. Figuring out the right level of capsaicin was the biggest initial challenge, says Lazar, who made himself the guinea pig.
"We started out at a level we thought would be fine. I walked out of the bathroom with my eyes swollen shut and said, 'I think we have to lower it, guys.'"
Once the formula was patented, Blair - who started Death Sauce out of his apartment with $600 - was determined to market it himself, through a Web site (blairlab.com). Eventually he plans to offer the cream - which runs $54 for a regular tube, $86 for extra-strength - through some retailers.
In the meantime, the longtime "chile-head" is getting used to a different slice of the business world, and he's amused by the unlikely twist in his career.
"Before I wanted to burn your tongue - now I want to cure your wrinkles," he says.
Blair Lazar, who makes the nuclear "Blair's Death Sauces" line, has unveiled a new skin-cream, Biocap, whose key ingredient is capsaicin, the element that makes hot foods hot. And he swears the potent product - inspired by a lab accident - works wonders on sagging skin.
"There's nothing like this on the market," he boasts. "Even Botox doesn't do what this does for skin tone."
Not a novel claim, but a top Manhattan dermatologist, who skeptically gave Biocap a test run at The Post's request, said she was "surprised and impressed" at its effectiveness.
Dr. Laurie Polis, of SoHo Skin & Laser Dermatology, tested it on herself and three others, and says that while one quit when her skin grew irritated, all three others achieved meaningful results.
"I absolutely did see improvement in the texture, tone and clarity of the skin," says Polis. "There was improved hydration and a decrease in wrinkling."
As for why it works, the simple answer is that capsaicin is a vasodilator, increasing blood flow to the skin. This not only offers direct benefits, says Lazar, but allows the other active ingredients to work better.
Lazar, 37, came up with the idea several years ago, after he accidentally took a blast of capsaicin to the face while working in the lab. His face was irritated for days, "but on the third day, I noticed that my crow's feet were gone, and my skin was tight. I was like, huh, this is interesting."
He did some Googling, and found capsaicin had never been used for skin. Still, getting into cosmetics sounded like too big a stretch for the gravel-voiced Jersey Shore native.
"I was like, what am I, Chanel?" he says. "I'm a hot sauce guy."
But he couldn't let the idea go, and began pondering how a known irritant could be turned into a pain-free cream. To that end, he approached a dozen scientists, whose general reaction, he says, was: "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."
One cosmetics-industry veteran bit, though, and the two spent more than two years developing the final (pain-free) product. Figuring out the right level of capsaicin was the biggest initial challenge, says Lazar, who made himself the guinea pig.
"We started out at a level we thought would be fine. I walked out of the bathroom with my eyes swollen shut and said, 'I think we have to lower it, guys.'"
Once the formula was patented, Blair - who started Death Sauce out of his apartment with $600 - was determined to market it himself, through a Web site (blairlab.com). Eventually he plans to offer the cream - which runs $54 for a regular tube, $86 for extra-strength - through some retailers.
In the meantime, the longtime "chile-head" is getting used to a different slice of the business world, and he's amused by the unlikely twist in his career.
"Before I wanted to burn your tongue - now I want to cure your wrinkles," he says.
Labels: capsaicin, new product, skincare
