Like spicy food? Chili peppers can lower blood pressure

A paper just published in the journal Cell Metabolism reports that capsaicin, the chemical in chili peppers that makes them taste hot, can lower blood pressure by promoting vascular relaxation.

"Here we report that chronic TRPV1 activation by dietary capsaicin increases the phosphorylation of protein kinase A (PKA) and eNOS and thus production of nitric oxide (NO) in endothelial cells...Long-term stimulation of TRPV1...improves vasorelaxation, and lowers blood pressure in genetically hypertensive rats. We conclude that TRPV1 activation by dietary capsaicin improves endothelial function. TRPV1-mediated increase in NO production may represent a promising target for therapeutic intervention of hypertension."

The endothelium is the inner lining of the blood vessel; good endothelial function is necessary for cardiovascular health. (Viagra and similar medications work by inhibiting the breakdown of nitric oxide, a vasodilator.) An accompanying editorial in the same journal notes that the authors:

"...demonstrate that vascular TRPV1 mediates a beneficial effect of capsaicin in the cardiovascular system, promoting nitric oxide release and lowering blood pressure."

An editorial in Science Signaling also recognizes this research:

The chemical in chili peppers that makes them taste hot is called capsaicin, and it activates a cation channel of the transient receptor potential family called TRPV1...Now Yang et al. provide evidence that dietary capsaicin may reduce blood pressure if made a constant part of the diet...Additionally, 6-month dietary consumption of capsaicin increased the relaxation response of isolated mouse mesenteric arteries to acetylcholine...How much of capsaicin’s effects on blood pressure are due to a direct effect on the vasculature and how much are mediated through effects on the nervous system remains to be determined, but these results suggest that targeting TRPV1 may be beneficial for the treatment of hypertension.