them, a pale, spongy mass called the placenta (For chillis as vegetables, see p 331) Their pungent chemicals, the capsaicins, are only synthesized by the surface cells of the placenta, and accumulate in droplets just under the cuticle of the placenta surface That cuticle can split under the pressure and allow the capsaicin to escape and spread onto the seeds and the inner fruit wall Some capsaicin also seems to enter the plant’s circulation, and can be found in small quantities within the fruit wall and in nearby stems and leaves The amount of capsaicin that a chilli contains depends not only on the plant’s genetic makeup, but on growing conditions — high temperatures and drought increase production — and on its ripeness The fruit accumulates capsaicin from pollination until it begins to ripen, when its pungency declines somewhat: so maximum pungency comes around the time that the green fruit begins to change color There are several different versions of the capsaicin molecule found in chillis This may be why different kinds of chillis seem to produce different kinds of pungency — quick and transient, slow and persistent — and to affect different parts of the mouth Capsaicin’s Effects on the Body The effects of capsaicin on the human body are many and complex As I write in 2004, the scorecard is fairly positive Capsaicin does not appear to increase the risk of cancer or stomach ulcers It affects the body’s temperature regulation, making us feel hotter than we actually are, and inducing cooling mechanisms (sweating, increased blood flow in the skin) It increases the body’s metabolic rate, so that we burn more energy (and therefore retain less in storage as fat) It may trigger brain signals that make us feel less hungry and more satiated In sum, it may encourage us to eat less of the meal it’s in, and to burn more of ... and transient, slow and persistent — and to affect different parts of the mouth Capsaicin’s Effects on the Body The effects of capsaicin on the human body are many and complex As I write in 2004, the scorecard is...There are several different versions of the capsaicin molecule found in chillis This may be why different kinds of chillis seem to produce different kinds of pungency — quick and transient, slow and persistent — and to... appear to increase the risk of cancer or stomach ulcers It affects the body’s temperature regulation, making us feel hotter than we actually are, and inducing cooling mechanisms (sweating, increased blood flow in the skin)