Heart Attack Damage Minimized With Blazing Capsaicin

Some people do the Pee Wee Herman dance when they find out that their favorite sports team has won, or they do an air fist pump while declaring "YEEEEEEEsssssssssssss!" (upon the realization that they have an extra $100 to play with this week).

I'm the kind of weirdo who gets amped about all things chili pepper related -- just take a trip through my cupboards and you'll soon realize that I am not messing around.

To say that I like chilis would be a ridiculous understatement -- I am passionate about them. I thrive on the burn and seem to challenge myself at each meal to achieve greater heights of pain, followed by pleasure.

It's always been a handy bonus that they are a great metabolism booster, but researchers are now analyzing findings that suggest that my beloved flame throwers could potentially aid heart attack victims. 

Specifically, they found that by applying capsaicin compound to part of the abdominal skin of mice (prior to mimicking a heart attack), the little whiskered fellows lost a mere 15% as many heart cells just 24 hours later compared to their unfortunate compadres who received no special pre-heart attack treatment.

While this has not yet been tested in human trials, researchers are encouraged by their findings and as the Wall Street Journal points out, they "suspect that capsaicin applied to abdominal skin aids heart recovery by stimulating nerves connected to the spinal cord, which in turn activate survival-oriented nerves in the heart muscle."

All I know is that this news warms the cockles of my heart and soul. Viva la chili pepper!