Do people in Sichuan province get a better night's sleep than everyone else? What about Thais?
A recent study of chilli found that people who eat plenty of the fiery little vegetable sleep better than non-chilli eaters and are more alert during the day.
Before all insomniacs rush out and gorge on chillies, be warned: the research results are preliminary. It's being conducted at the University of Tasmania in Launceston and, so far, has involved only a small number of volunteers. Twenty brave souls signed up and spent the first four weeks eating a bland diet of English-style food (no chilli and few spices).
During this time, their blood was tested and their sleep patterns monitored. The volunteers were then given 30 grams of fresh chilli a day. That's when they started sleeping better at night and performing better by day.
Team leader Dominic Geraghty said the group was investigating the effects of capsaicin, the active ingredient in chilli that stimulates pain nerves and triggers an intense burning sensation after it's eaten. The things that cause us to feel this way are receptors on pain nerves that react specifically to chilli. The researchers think they have a much more important role than just sending us gasping for glasses of water.
They think capsaicin receptors may regulate brain function and blood vessels.
The purpose of the research isn't to torture hapless volunteers but to discover whether chilli - or, rather, capsaicin - has a role in preventing heart disease, diabetes and degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
