Loading... Please wait...
Jamie Oliver is addicted to chilli, well, so am I :)
Posted on 21st Mar 2016
I'm addicted to chilli admits Jamie Oliver: Celebrity chef compares it to morphine and says it stimulates happiness
- the celebrity chef said he feels ill if he does not have a 'little nibble' in the morning
- Said chillies contain a chemical that is the 'nearest natural form of morphine'
- Scientist disputed link saying no evidence chilies alter mood or behaviour
By Laura Cox for the Daily Mail
-
Spice of life: Jamie Oliver revealed his secret addiction to chillies, saying that instead of drinking coffee he has a 'little nibble' on some chilli
We are used to watching him getting fired up in the kitchen.
But now Jamie Oliver has revealed the secret ingredient that helps put a spring in his step, admitting he has an addiction to chillies.
Mr Oliver, 37, appearing on Channel 4’s The Last Leg of the Year, which airs on Sunday, claimed a chemical in the hot vegetable helps stimulate happiness.
The TV chef and best-selling cook book author claimed the ingredient has a chemical in it that is the ‘nearest natural form of morphine’.
When he appeared on the show, which is fronted by comedian Adam Hills and is spin-off from the Paralympics show The Last Leg, Mr Hills said: ‘It turns out you’re addicted to chillies.’
Mr Oliver replied ‘yes’ and admitted that if he did not have a chilli in the morning he felt quite ill.
The famous cook said: ‘It’s got a chemical in it called capsaicin that is the nearest natural form of morphine.....it stimulates serotonin and happiness.
‘Instead of knocking back coffee, I have a little nibble on a little bit of chilli and a lot of cultures have a little bit of chilli in the morning, it just gets you going.’
Earlier this year scientists linked capsaicin, the chemical which gives peppers their burning sensation, to weight loss.
It has also been claimed that capsaicin may help lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol, improve circulation and heart health as well as clearing congestion.
But yesterday one expert questioned whether it was possible to become addicted to eating chillies.
Addict: The TV chef, appearing on Channel 4's The Last Leg of the Year, admitted that without chilli in the morning he feels ill
‘There is no evidence that capsaicin regulates mood or behaviour, or induces addiction, when ingested as part of our food consumption,’ said Dr Carmine Pariante, a professor of biological psychiatry at King's College London.
‘It is indeed correct that capsaicin has profound effects on our pain control system, which includes serotonin, but these effects are confined to the mouth, and do not reach the brain.
‘The misunderstanding may have come from some animal studies showing an anti-depressant effect of capsaicin, but only when this is directly injected into the brain of mice.
‘While scientifically capsaicin is an interesting substance to study, there is no known reason as to why it would become addictive if taken as part of our diet.’
Mr Oliver has become a champion of healthy eating, with wholesome family recipes and his high profile campaign to improve school meals.
Admission: Appearing on the programme, presented By Adam Hills, right, Mr Oliver described chilli as 'the nearest natural form of morphine'
But his chilli obsession will come as a surprise to fans, many of whom will no doubt still be recovering from his recent recommendation of absinthe for getting the Christmas party going.
An article in the Jamie Magazine advocated the benefits of the controversial tipple, which is banned in many countries.
On The Last Leg of the Year, Mr Oliver also reveals how 30,000 napkins are stolen from his restaurants every month and discusses his love for the Royals.
‘I do like a bit of royal stuff,’ he said. ‘ [Prince Charles] is a great laugh. He’s really into his food and farming. For the last 40years he’s been quite pioneering.... maybe people around him thought he was a bit of a hippy.
‘Everything he has done has come of age.’
Boris Johnson also appears, to discuss his pre-Olympics fears, his faulty zip-wire experience that was ‘more painful than you might think’ and his signature haircut.