capsaicin

(Newser) - "Exciting news" was delivered Monday to two US-based scientists. The Nobel Prize in the field of physiology or medicine has been awarded to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, cited for their discovery of receptors for temperature and touch. The winners were announced Monday by Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of...

(Newser) - People who like a little heat in their meals just might be doing their longevity a favor. So report researchers this week in the British Medical Journal after studying the health, diets, and alcohol consumption of more than 485,000 people in China. Controlling for many variables, including family medical...

(Newser) - Don't say science never did anything for you, spicy food lovers. Last week researchers published the full genome for the hot pepper (Capsicum annuum), a discovery that, according to LiveScience , could have a very practical application: even hotter peppers. The findings will "help breeders accelerate the research of...

(Newser) - Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers so spicy, could turn out to be the newest—and oddest—heart drug, the Wall Street Journal reports. Scientists applied the chemical to the abdominal skin of mice then induced heart attacks; their hearts suffered 85% less cell damage than the mice treated...