Capsaicin (the hot tamale!)

I've been reading up lately about capsaicin, the compound in chili peppers that gives them their spiciness. It seems capsaicin has some interesting nutritional and analgesic effects, such as assisting the immune system, facilitating cellular termination at the end of the cell lifecycle process, and analgesic benefits in managing arthritis and muscular pain. Not to mention that it keeps our food interesting, too. So it seems having a spicy dish or two occasionally, as comfortable, is also a healthy and beneficial thing :-)