News Health & Medicine Downside of red-hot chili peppers In the wild, that culinary kick comes with risks to the plant Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Susan Milius June 19, 2009 at 6:27 pm TO BURN OR NOT The beloved burn of chili peppers causes a dilemma for plants in the wild, new research suggests. Heat helps protect the seeds from a fungus, but it may also leave plants less tolerant of drought and plant seeds more vulnerable to ant attacks. The finding may explain the variety of heat found in the fruit of Capsicum chacoense plants, shown above, even within the same population. Courtesy of Harry Nyström MOSCOW, Idaho — Sometimes it’s good to be not so hot. More Stories from Science News on Health & Medicine Climate Climate change could double U.S. temperature-linked deaths by mid-century By Andrea Tamayo3 hours ago Microbes Some bacteria in your mouth can divide into as many as 14 cells at once By Saugat Bolakhe7 hours ago Health & Medicine Vaccines for mpox are finally reaching Africa. But questions about the virus remain By Erin Garcia de JesúsSeptember 19, 2024 Health & Medicine Can taking ashwagandha supplements improve health? By Sean CummingsSeptember 13, 2024 Health & Medicine California droughts may help valley fever spread By Erin Garcia de JesúsSeptember 11, 2024 Health & Medicine The first face transplant to include an eye shows no rejection a year later By Aimee CunninghamSeptember 9, 2024 Health & Medicine 50 years ago, some of plastic’s toxic hazards were exposed By Erin Garcia de JesúsSeptember 6, 2024 Health & Medicine A new drug shows promise for hot flashes due to menopause By Aimee CunninghamSeptember 5, 2024