HERE COMES THE LATEST FAT BUSTER-GEAR UP YOUR PALATE!

The Indian traditional culinary preparation, "The Curry" has been ridiculed so often by those who cannot tolerate the spices contained in the product that new generation products, modified curries, are being made in many modern day homes and restaurants, which are practically bland devoid of important spices like Chilli, Turmeric, Coriander, Asafoetida etc. Is it not a tragedy that the modern day generation of youngsters born to Indian parents shy away from such traditional preparations and flock to junk foods like burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, pizza etc? It has been known for quite some time that many spices and herbs are treasure houses of many proven health protecting phytochemicals and older generation Indians and Chinese to some extent recognized the precious value of these ingredients hundreds of years ago, making their regular consumption as a part of daily diet. Chilli is a spice studiously avoided by the western population, possibly because of the "heat" it generates on the palate not generally tolerated by them. But is it not a fact that Mexican foods reputed for high pungency are popular in many parts of the world including the US and Europe and restaurant chains like Chipotle, Taco Bell etc are omnipotent by their presence every where?  Recent assertion by a group of scientists that Chilli can be beneficial in reducing body weight  through busting the belly fat and suppressing hunger significantly is bound to bring more focus on this simple spice in coming years.  

A research group in Netherlands has  recently come out with its findings on the effect of Chilli on weight reduction According to them this hot spice can work in three different ways, the ultimate effect being a net lose of body weight. They are capable of burning fat, suppress hunger pangs and boost overall calorie-burning rates in the body. It appears that the chemical capsaicin in Chilli responsible for its heat, triggers rapid secretion of the hormone adrenalin  from the glands which in turn stimulates the brain to send messages to burn fat cells selectively. Interestingly such a fat burning spree is confined to that present around the belly which was found to be burned most rapidly. Midriff fat is considered the most dangerous because it significantly increases the risk of heart disease in human beings.

Scientific evidence to support the above claims may not be very substantial but what ever data have been generated do show that there is some thing significant about the effect of Capsaicin on humans that deserves to be investigated further. For example this Chilli constituent has been found to be suppressing action of Ghrelin, a hormone known to be involved in promoting hunger which indirectly goes to show that Chilli consumption can suppress appetite. Studies with human beings who consumed Chillies before a meal showed significantly lesser appetite than normal subjects. Similarly Chilli consumption considerably rev up thermogenesis in the body and since there was no perceptible increase in metabolic activity, it is assumed that fat is being burned in preference to carbohydrates. Both these deductions may be valid and appetite suppression combined with preferential fat burning can accomplish weight reduction over a continued period of Chilli consumption. It is however not clear whether other analogs of Capsaicin like Dihydrocapsaicin, Nordihydrocapsaicin, Homocapsaicin and Homodihydrocapsaicin will also be effective in fighting obesity. The synthetic version Nonivamide is also another candidate worth testing.

Capsaicin is suggested as a supplement for aiding digestion as it stimulates production of digestive juices in the stomach besides fighting undesirable bacteria with pathogenic potential. Capsaicin is also implicated in preventing heart disease as it appears to retard blood clotting, reduce blood cholesterol and prevent hardening of arteries. But its fat busting properties are only reported now and it is theorized with some evidence that Capsaicin stimulates certain proteins that is known to break down fat while inhibiting action of other proteins that synthesize fat in the body. An imponderable factor in using Capsaicin for weight reduction programs is whether the lost weight will return once the consumption is stopped and this needs to be explored before it can become a standard diet supplement for people intending to lose weight..

Even assuming that there is adequate scientific support to the above claim, the million dollar question is how can people intolerant to Chilli heat can be made to consume the same without creating any trauma? Response to Chilli ingestion varies from person to person with some people seriously affected by even small levels of Chilli in the food. In some consumers it causes diarrhea while in others it creates intense discomfort in the GI tract. Probably technologies like encapsulation and micro encapsulation can by pass the palate reducing the intense pungency in the mouth. Organic chemists may even come out with modified Capsaicin molecules which can exert same effect as natural Capsaicin on the metabolic dynamics of human body. Another route to is to train people slowly in consuming Chilli over a period of time as there are hundreds of varieties of Chilli with varying "Scoville" score, reflecting the heat generating capacity on the tongue. Possibly those varieties with lower heat value can be made popular in the first instant among Chilli "haters" to get them acquainted with the heat properties and it is a question of time before they can be hooked on to regular Chillies.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

HOT CHILLI-COOLING THE NERVES

Chilli happens to be an integral part of the spice bank in any kitchen in India, being a regular culinary ingredient in the diets of the people. The 'hot' sensation one experiences during food consumption is due to presence of chilli in such preparations. Chilli can come in either fresh green form with limited shelf life or in dried red version with long life. While green chilli has not much of a commercial value for food industry, red chilli is processed into powder, blends with other spices or oleoresins for use by the food ingredient and pharmaceutical industries. The 'hot' sensation felt in the oral cavity is contributed by the capsaicinoids, numbering about half a dozen with varying 'heat' generating capacity. Pure capsaicin, a while crystalline or waxy substance of hydrophilic nature, is supposed to have a 'heat' potential measured in terms of Scoville Heat Units (SHU) and a milligram of capsaicin is equivalent to 15 SHUs.

India boasts of the hottest chilli in the world grown in Tezpur region, known locally as Naga Jolika capsicum with 8,55,000 SHUs while the next hottest is Red Savina Habanero with 5,77,000 SHUs. Guntur Chilli, commonly used in the South has a mere 53,250 SHUs! Jalepino Pepper, considered too hot for the western consumers has just 5000 SHUs. Capsaicin to gether with dihydrocapsaicin constitute 91% of the capsaicinoids in Chilli. Capsaicin and anthocyanins present in Chilli make it a popular industrial commodity and these two fractions can be separated with the latter used in food and allied industries as natural colorant. Besides the food use, capsaicin is a much sought after natural substance for its medication value as a counter irritant in controlling pain sensation in people suffering from peripheral neuropathy. Most of the pain balms available to day has capsaicin as the main ingredient at levels between 0.025% and 0.075%. Capsaicin is also being promoted as possible nutraceutical for preventing or treating some of the diseases like prostate cancer.

Capsaicin caught the attention of the world recently when it was approved for use in patients suffering from postherpetic neuralgia ( PHN) as an 8% patch, in the US and Europe. The treatment works by targeting certain pain nerves in the area of skin where pain is being experienced. Clinical studies have confirmed that PHN pain can be reduced for up to 12 weeks following a single 1-hour treatment. Up to 4 patches may be used and patches may be cut to conform to the size and shape of the painful area. It is a locally-acting, non-narcotic medication that is not known to cause drowsiness or any drug-drug interactions. Treatment can be repeated every 3 or more months as warranted by the return of pain and the simple Chili may become the symbol of a better quality life to millions of people suffering from the above ailment. Even more exciting is the possibility of using capsaicin as an analgesic to treat post-surgical and osteoarthritis through a single injection at the site of pain, giving relief for long periods. With Chilli having such healing powers, it may become the darling of the pharmaceutical industry with food industry becoming a minor user because of cost factors.

Advent of VNA, Vanillamide of n-Nonenoic Acid, better known as the synthetic capsaicin, is proving to be a stumbling block for the Chilli processors as it is available at a price, one fourth that of natural capsaicin with practically same properties. Though VNA is not being recommended as an ingredient for internal medicines, industry finds it much more economical for manufacturing ointments, creams and patches for use as a part of topical treatment protocol. Spice processors will have to change their strategy by concentrating on high SHU chilli varieties for processing and evolving new technologies that will drastically reduce production cost of natural capsaicin in the coming years.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

HOT AND COLORFUL FOODS-THE NEW DIMENSION

A balanced diet right from child hood is a pre-requisite for preventing many of the modern day metabolic diseases. Realization about this truth invariably dawns on people during later stages of life when in spite of high purchasing power many 'good' foods have to be avoided to prevent life-threatening health complications.in diet planning, stress is invariably laid on main stream foods like cereals, pulses, diary products, edible oils, meat, fish and poultry products and fruit and vegetables. Daily requirement of calories, proteins, fiber and micro nutrients are derived from these food materials and national and international recommendations for ideal diets are widely disseminated for maintaining good health amongst different age groups and genders. Where do the spices come into picture when balanced diets are designed? It is true that spices are not considered as a source of any major nutrient and therefore do not find a place in the basket of foods considered for designing a diet, their main role being perceived as enriching the prepared foods with flavor only.

Spices and herbs are increasingly being recognized more for their unique properties in boosting health rather than as a part of food system and many are touted as pharmaceutics that confer different benefits to the consumers. All spices are characterized by their distinct aroma and taste and those which are strongly odoriferous and olfactory, are shunned by populations in the west. Major spices like black pepper, red chilli, ginger, cardamom and turmeric have established as an integral part of the diets in Asia, South America and Africa where their culinary aspects are more valued and any health benefits become incidental. The much maligned Indian curry preparations, though have strong flavors due to presence of spices like chilli, coriander, cumin, turmeric, asofoetida, etc, are increasingly gaining acceptance all across the world and they are bound to confer many health benefits if regularly consumed.

Chilli, a colorful and pungent spice liked in many tropical countries in Asia and South America has now been found to have a role other than its sensory effect. With a history of more than 5000 years, its use has been extensive in older civilizations which recognized its health value much before the modern man could perceive. Besides being rich in nutrients like carotenoids like beta carotene, lutein, violaxanthine and neoxanthine, it also has the red pigments of ketocarotenoid nature such as capsanthine, capsorubin and cryptocapsin and capsaicinoids like capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. Hot peppers stimulate saliva and overcome loss of appetite.Regular consumption is known to reduce risk of thrombolism and lower liver and serum lipids in humans, a trait much valued to day. Recently its role in in improving control of insulin levels after eating and reducing blood sugar levels has been established and it is inferred that capsaicin may be responsible for this phenomenon. Capsaicin has been known to inhibit the growth of fat cells and prevent maturation of adipocytes resulting in decreased levels of fat in tissues and the blood. Capsaicin also has the ability to inhibit arthritis and pancreatic cancer, as reported by earlier studies. The demonstrable effect of chilli can be seen even at a low level of 33 mg of capsaicin per 30 gm of a preparation consumed for 3 weeks. Chilli meals probably result in lower c-peptide and insulin secretion and higher hepatic clearance of insulin. These unique properties may become important in future management of diabetes and obesity.

Though there are other phytochemicals in chilli, most studies are confined to the effect of capsaicin on humans. Commercially, products like oleoresin paprika, oleoresin capsicum and oleoresin red pepper are available from the spice extractive industry and it should be interesting to know which of these three extracts has maximum benefits if regularly consumed. Even the ambiguity regarding the relative effectiveness of green chilli, high capsaicin chilli and high color chilli needs to be resolved for evolving guidelines to the consumers. There is also the synthetic versions of capsaicin like N-Vanillyl nonamide available in the market and whether they also have the same effect as natural chilli, should be elucidated. It is time that Indian food scientists devote for more attention on these aspects on a priority to put chilli on a high pedestal, which it richly deserves.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

WHY ARE CHILLIES HOT?

Chillies with varying capsaicin contents, responsible for their 'heat' value or the burning sensation are unique and why nature has endowed this crop with such a property has been debated amongst scientists. Generally such extraordinary properties are linked to survival of the species in a wild world where there are more enemies than friends. Could it be that chillies have not become extinct because of the presence of capsaicin inside which many living creatures including some segments of human population cannot tolerate? It is nature's way of ensuring that all living creatures live in harmony that many such weaklings are endowed with survival kits helping them to ward off indiscriminate destruction by pests and hostile microbes.

It has now been confirmed by some scientists that capsaicin does confer protection to chillies. In many growing areas fungal attack on chillies makes the seeds unviable, incapable of germination and multiplication. The fungus Fusarium, most commonly present in chilies was found to be affected adversely by capsaicin and consequently the growth of this destructive microorganism is considerably slowed down. While many predators like mammals and other species are repelled by chillies' hotness experience on the palate, birds are known to be insensitive to the heat sensation when chillies are consumed. The birds thus help to disperse chili seeds and help their propagation. Capsaicin present in the desippament, not in the seeds, varies in concentration in different varieties of chillies. Some have practically no capsaicin while most others boast of heat values estimated at several million Scoville units. The scientific observation that lower the Scoville value more vulnerable are the chillies to Fusarium attack confirms the conclusion that capsaicin is a potent weapon in the armory of chilies to fight for survival.

Chili, with its capsaicin content, also provides humans with a food ingredient that helps to fight many diseases afflicting them. The populations in regions lying within 20 degrees of the equator on either side are prolific consumers of chilies and they are not known to be affected by many diseases that are common beyond the tropics. While very little work is going on to elucidate many beneficial claims attributed to chili, occasional studies like the above are compelling to invest more on research in this area. India is one of the countries where chili is a part and parcel of the diets and the older generations still are free of many of the health ailments the present generation is facing. This can be attributed massive shift in consumption habits influenced by western influences where chili never finds a place. Aversion to Chillies in the country amongst younger generation is a disturbing phenomenon and probably more parental efforts are called for to reinvent the 'Chili Culture' for the benefit of the future generation.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/