Spicy foods for beautiful skin?!

Summer is finally here!

However, thanks to the recent abnormal weather, temperatures have been rising even before summer has begun... some people may already be feeling fatigued from the heat.

And for some reason, when summer comes, I crave spicy food.

You know those people who say, "It's hot, it's hot," but end up sweating even more after eating spicy food?
That strange sight makes you feel hot just looking at it... In fact, it's a perfectly reasonable behavior. But why do we have an overwhelming desire to eat something spicy even when it's hot?

The body naturally craves coolness!

The human body has a mechanism to maintain a constant body temperature.

When you're hot, sweating helps lower your body's surface temperature, which ultimately helps you feel cooler.

The same mechanism occurs when we eat spicy food, which explains why hot countries like Thailand and India have so many spicy dishes.

Eating spicy food has these benefits!

■ Secrete endorphins in the brain

There is no such thing as "spicy" taste in humans.

So when you eat something spicy, your brain recognizes the sensation as pain, and in an attempt to relieve that pain, it secretes a hormone called beta-endorphin.

This hormone is what causes the "runner's high" experienced during a marathon.
In other words, eating spicy food gives you a sense of happiness. This is why spicy food is addictive.

■ Increased appetite

Eating spicy foods stimulates the mucous membrane in the intestines, increasing the amount of blood sent to the stomach and intestines and promoting the secretion of digestive juices.

At the same time, saliva secretion is stimulated, resulting in an increased appetite! Intestinal movement is also stimulated, improving nutrient absorption.

■Can eating spicy foods give you beautiful skin?

Capsaicin, the main component of spiciness, promotes blood circulation in the body and increases sweating and metabolism.

The principle is that increased metabolism also promotes cell regeneration, creating an environment that is conducive to the production of beautiful skin from within the body.
This must be the reason why Koreans, whose food culture revolves around kimchi, have such beautiful skin.

I've talked a lot about the benefits of spicy foods, but consuming large amounts of spicy food just because it's good for you can actually irritate and damage the stomach lining or destroy the cells on the surface of your tongue, leading to taste disorders.
Eating too much of anything is not good, so enjoy your food while keeping an eye on your physical condition.

■As a side note

I mentioned that eating spicy food makes you feel happy, but don't you think the kanji for "spicy" and "happiness" are very similar?

Maybe there's some deeper connection! I thought to myself.
If you are interested, please check it out and let me know. (laughs)