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 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 Health & Medicine A next-gen pain drug shows promise, but chronic sufferers need more options By Cassandra WillyardSeptember 5, 2024 Health & Medicine What is ‘Stage 0’ breast cancer and how is it treated? By Lisa GrossmanAugust 30, 2024 Health & Medicine People with food and other allergies have a new way to treat severe reactions By Aimee CunninghamAugust 27, 2024