Chile Benefits & Aphrodisiac Use

One of the greatest chile benefits is that it is a food with the ability to release endorphins, natural painkillers triggered to put out internal “fire.” Endorphins also cause the high of extreme physical exertion. And this floating, energized feeling is so powerful in its pleasure that it can cause addiction to spicy cuisine.

The benefits of endorphins

And as a lead-up to that rush of endorphins, chile peppers will raise heart rate, replicating those feelings of excitement from building lust. And, according to an article published in Clinical Nutrition, as they make your heart flutter, chiles can also positively impact your energy level.

So powerful is its chest-thumping ability, chiles from Anaheim peppers to Thai chiles have actually been administered as an antidote for heart attacks. True, it might take a lot of chile to make the heart pulse and the eater to experience an endorphin high. But even a tiny nibble can have an aphrodisiac effect.

TO TRY: Want to add a little heat to your dessert? Try these Chipotle Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Exploring the varieties of chiles

Each of the hundreds of chile varieties produces a different level of heat and subtly unique flavor. Chipotles promise a smokiness, from which even the merest whiff is arousing. Habaneros are among the most hot, thereby the most dangerous. The many varieties of Thai chiles also pack a punch of heat.

Here’s one of my favorite tips on getting just the right level of spice: the heat of chile peppers is concentrated in the veins. To decrease heat, remove the veins before cooking the peppers.

Why chile is an aphrodisiac food

Historically, chile peppers were used by multiple cultures not only as an aphrodisiac but as an anesthetic, to promote cardiovascular health and to alleviate chronic pain. In one of my favorite anecdotes, the great ruler Montezuma was said to drink a chile and chocolate drink, which was really more like unsweetened cacao spiked with chile in order to have the strength to service his harem of women every day.

RELATED: What is cacao?

But we now have a greater understanding of just what it is that makes this food a truly effective aphrodisiac. In fact, to say that spicy food can turn you on might be an understatement.

Among the benefits of chiles, as little as a pinch of chile powder can raise body temperature and get you in the mood to tear off your clothes. It also makes lips plump up with kissable softness and desirability. In fact, it is said that all the heat can telegraph the visual cues of a sexual flush. This sexy physical attribute can put a lover’s mind in the mood with as little as one delicious glance.

Of course, you don’t need multiple cups of a spicy chocolate drink to appreciate the effects of this powerful spice. Instead, make something perhaps a little more practical and palatable. Try the Chocolate-Kissed White Bean Chili from my cookbook Romancing the Stove.

Discover more of the world’s greatest aphrodisiac foods

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.

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