Hot peppers lower cholesterol False. Popular reports to the contrary, there is no good evidence hot peppers benefit cholesterol. But they may help combat heart disease by acting as a mild, transient anticoagulant. And capsaicin prolongs bleeding in laboratory animals. Capsaicin also fights inflammation, a newly identified villain in heart disease.
Hot peppers cause cancer Probably false.
One large Mexican study suggested that eating lots of hot peppers boosted the risk of stomach cancer. Populations around the world who eat lots of peppers do not have more stomach cancer, so experts do not think it's a worry. Surprisingly, hot peppers may be fat-busters. Past British research found spicy foods, including hot sauce, speed up metabolism, burning extra calories. New research at Canada's Laval University shows hot sauce with capsaicin suppresses appetite and reduces calorie intake.