Anger in our joints and muscles

Anger in our joints and muscles can be relieved oddly by enjoying hot peppers for a powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient called capsaicin.

One of the fascinating things to do on the internet, if interested in nutrition is to type “capsaicin anti-inflammatory research” for example into your search engine.

Always include “research” so that you do not just get Bernard Preston’s opinion or that of the Mayo Clinic; such always add their own slant which may be at variance with the whole truth.

Capsaicin is one of the active ingredients in peppers. Scientists have become obsessed with this phytonutrient. There is so much promise in the fields of pain relief from a diabetic neuralgia for example, to cancer prevention and treatment; and as an anti-inflammatory agent to help with the anger in our muscles and joints.

Over 19,000 research articles on capsaicin have been published in the last three decades; increasing at 18% per year. That’s mind boggling.

Much of it is simply pure research; scientists who have inquiring minds are excited about capsaicin for no other reason than it is a very interesting substance. But we can be sure that it will not be long before pharmaceutical companies become equally enthusiastic; there’s a buck to be made. In fact it is already happening; there are creams now available for the treatment of the neuralgic pains of shingles and diabetes.

I am unashamedly a disciple of Hippocrates. “Let your food be your medicine,” said he. I give this philosophy much of the credit for the fact that neither the good wife nor I suffer from any of the chronic degenerative diseases in the second half of our eighth decades; nor do we take any pharmaceuticals.

The capsaicin is found in greatest abundance in the placenta that holds the seeds; the white pithy stuff.

Make sure you don’t discard it with the seeds; some say they surprisingly have little capsaicin.

Freezing peppadews

Much of this research deals with anti-inflammation; I find it supremely ironic that hot peppers can reduce the anger in our joints and muscles.

Even worse the national cancer institute states that chronic inflammation damages our DNA structure which “can ultimately result in malignant tumours.”

Interestingly it is the “repeated application of capsaicin” that results in its anti-inflammatory responses; that fits in perfectly with our own belief that prevention is better than a cure.

Would you be prepared to spend an hour, perhaps two chopping and preparing peppadews for freezing? Enough so that you would have sufficient to enjoy them daily for the whole year once the season is over; we are still reaping them in early July.

Actually I confess that’s a rather specious suggestion. In fact there is quite a lot of work in growing enough peppadews so that you will have sufficient for a whole year; figure on ten plants.

Many highly nutritious foods are in fact rather dull. Use your hot peppers to spice up your homemade hummus recipe, lentils or Eggs Florentine, for example; making sure you have capsaicin in your diet every single day.

• Eggs Hilton

Spot the peppadews

• Growing peppadews
  

They are prolific bearers, continuing for several years. A trellis of sorts is necessary since the branches become so heavy that they collapse under the weight of the fruit; and then they never turn red. I suspect the capsaicin content is reduced.

They have a very long growing season so set the seeds out in July in a warm sunny spot so that the young plants can be set out once the danger of frost is over. They will continue to bear for nearly half a year in a mild climate.

Are you suffering from anger in your joints and muscles? The research is unequivocal. Daily consumption of peppers rich in capsaicin is just as good as a common anti-inflammatory medicine; without the worries about a hole in the stomach and black blood in the stool.

Are you anxious about tumour cells that are “capable of migrating through the lymphatic or blood systems to colonise distant sites?” That is what melanomas love to do. Capsaicin has been shown to mitigate against this process. It’s no guarantee, of course. Enjoying wholesome food daily just shifts the odds in your favour.

It is simply one part of the lifestyle in the Blue Zones of the world where they enjoy such long and zestful lives. 10 to 20% of health is genetic and beyond our control; mostly it is about the way we go about the daily grind.

• Spicy peppadew mead
  

Peppadews are easy to grow; they add so much flavour to our daily food too. They have the zing without the severe burn of chilies; and protection against serious disease.

Today 21 peppadews will go into another carboy of dry honey mead; few sugars are left in solution. Is it stretching things to believe that a glass every day will help prevent the spread of cancers?

How much alcohol causes cancer? The research is disturbing; but in the Blue Zones they enjoy these natural unpasteurised wines and live to a great vintage.

• Applying Pascal's wager to the alcohol causes cancer debate
  

Anger in our joints and muscles

Anger in our joints and muscles is a sure sign of a diet rich in inflammatory foods; eat more spicy peppers daily whether you like them or not.

• Tobacco, obesity and alcohol are three preventable causes of cancer
  

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