The Surprising Health Benefits of Hot Sauce

Our hot sauce isn't for the faint of heart. We're talking fermented Hawaiian chili peppers, ghost peppers, and occasionally scorpion peppers here. We have created all of the recipes in house, and have spent years perfecting them. We source our fresh peppers locally, with the majority of the peppers grown right here on Kauaʻi.

Our hot sauces can range from relatively mild to super spicy while showcasing local flavors like mango, pineapple, lilikoi (passion fruit), kiawe wood, Hawaiian sea salt, and Kauaʻi kombucha vinegar. Each unique sauce flavor is carefully designed to highlight the spices used without compromising the special ingredients of the batch. 

At Kauai Juice Co. we strongly believe that hot sauce is a wonderful addition to any meal, from avocado toast in the morning to pizza at lunch, soups, or stir-fry for dinner (anyone else carry your favorite hot sauce with you wherever you go?). Not only does it add that perfect bite to your favorite dishes — but it also provides a wide range of health benefits. So whether you’re a newbie or a hot sauce aficionado, you might want to turn up the heat and indulge in this magical condiment whenever possible! 

Here’s a list of all the reasons having a hot sauce obsession is good for you. 

 

Boosts Metabolism & Promotes Weight Loss

The healing properties of hot peppers are plentiful thanks to the active ingredient, capsaicin, which is responsible for the pungent taste and heat we feel while eating them. One amazing benefit of capsaicin is that it can increase your metabolic rate, which helps you burn calories more efficiently (and effortlessly!). Adding hot sauce to any dish can actually boost your metabolism for several hours after your meal. To make things even better, it’s also an extremely low-calorie way to spice up any dish compared to heavier sauce choices like BBQ, ketchup, aioli, or anything mayo-based, so feel free to drizzle away.

Vitamins & Minerals

Chili peppers (including the Hawaiian chili peppers, ghost peppers, and habaneros that we use in our sauces) come with concentrated doses of essential antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins including vitamins A, C, B6, K, folate, magnesium, and potassium. Vitamin C, as you may know, can help boost your immune system helping to prevent colds, the flu, and other chronic diseases. 

Capsaicin also has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. The antioxidants in chili peppers can help to lower blood pressure and inflammation. They also have anti-aging properties by maintaining collagen. Consuming hot sauce that contains capsaicin can also increase iron absorption, help normalize insulin levels (which can help prevent and manage diabetes) and it’s also a great decongestant!

Fermented Foods are Great for Digestion 

All of our Kauai Juice Co. hot sauces contain fermented peppers. Historically, fermentation techniques have been used as a way to preserve food and drinks long before refrigerators were a thing. During fermentation, live bacteria break down food components like sugar, making it easier for you to digest and absorb all the nutrients. 

Other Surprising Health Benefits

• Due to the anti-inflammatory benefits of capsaicin, hot peppers can help prevent allergies and symptoms from allergies.  
• It’s good for keeping your spouse or partner happy, as eating hot pepper can act as a disinfectant and improve the odor of your breath.
• It’s a natural pain reliever, as capsaicin is actually used in many topical pain-relief creams and ointment to treat arthritis and other ailments. Eating hot peppers can also help fight migraines and joint pain through its anti-inflammatory properties.
• In response to the burning sensation of ingesting the capsaicin, your brain releases endorphins and dopamine. Combined, these chemicals can create euphoria similar to "runner's high". So if you have a nice buzz after a spicy lunch, you have your hot sauce to thank.

Hawaiian Chili Peppers

The Hawaiian chili pepper is small in size but packs a punch when it comes to flavor and heat! The most popular way to use them in the islands is for making Hawaiian chili pepper water or ‘firewater’, a Hawaiian household staple that is used as a spicy condiment on everything from eggs to saimin or even in cocktails. 

These peppers mature to a bright red color and grow year-round in Hawai’i. However, they are so hard to buy in bulk that we purchase them every week at the farmers market in small batches. The peppers are then fermented for at least 6 months before being made into our signature hot sauces.  

Our Hot Sauce Selections 

-Chili Pepper Water

Chili pepper water originates with the native Hawaiians who traditionally bottled sea salt, local peppers, and water. Locals put this stuff on EVERYTHING. We kept our version simple and true to its roots. We especially like to add it to soups, soba noodles, and eggs. This is one of our least spicy sauces.  Buy Here

-Smoked Sauce

Our tomatoes are grown in Hawaii and picked perfectly ripened on the vine. We then smoke them in small batches with Kauaʻi Kiawe wood. This smoky BBQ sauce goes perfectly with most savory foods - eggs, avocado toast, grilled veggies, or barbeque chicken. It’s one of the Juice Co.’s best-kept secrets. Buy Here

-Kiawe Smoked

This is our most mild, but also one of our most popular sauces! We get our jalapeños from farmers all over the island and smoke them in small batches with Kauaʻi Kiawe wood to get that delicious smoky flavor. This is a fan favorite and goes great on all dishes. Buy Here