Self

5 Amazing Reasons Your Hot Sauce Addiction Is GOOD For You

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tabasco

If you love piling the spice on heavy, chances are you're already aware of the flavorful wonders of hot sauce — we're big fans of sriracha and Tabasco over here. But hot sauce offers more than a little kick to your senses, it can actually be a tasty resource for successful weight loss. Here are five reasons to get spicy.

1. It doesn't pack on the calories

While certain condiments offer plentiful flavor, hot sauce does the same at a fraction of the calories. It varies from brand to brand, but most hot sauces are approximately six calories per tablespoon.

2. It kicks up your metabolism

Hot sauce offers a boost of vitamin C and capsaicin, a compound found in hot peppers that is responsible for the serious heat. But even better than sheer flavor factor, vitamin C and capsaicin have both been shown to assist in revving up your metabolism.

3. It helps with aging

A large study recently confirmed that individuals who ate spicy food on the regular were more likely to live longer than those who don't.

4. It helps keep you satisfied

A little goes a long way with hot sauce! For your sodium level's sake, you definitely shouldn't douse all your food in it, but by keeping your food spicier, you'll need to chow down a little more slowly. Hot sauce is a great way to pace yourself if you tend to keep things harried when you're eating.

5. It can better your mood

While other factors are absolutely at play here, capsaicin brings on endorphins. Not only do these endorphins lessen the spicy blow of the next bite, we know that they are integral to sustain a good mood.

This article was originally published at PopSugar. Reprinted with permission from the author.