A - a movie sounds awsome! Just let me know when you can escape the hubby and kids and we'll be OFF!

Yes there are health benefits to eating jalapenos and other peppers... I think the stuff is called capsisin (sp?) and it has a lot of health benefits. I'll look up some links and post them here for you.

As far as black pepper, I don't know.. I've never heard of any advise to NOT eat black pepper. And the advice about sodium I think really only applies to people who are sodium sensitive. I read something once about how for years Dr.s had advised that sodium contributed to high blood pressure, but that it wasn't exactly the truth and in most people sodium does not cause a change in blood pressure. Although there are other more important reasons to steer clear of excess sodium - water retention (which sucks so much), sodium interfers with the absorption of calcium and can actually cause calcium loss from your bones (as does phosphoric acid... something that is in cokes and diet cokes *note to all non southers reading this.. we southerners mean all carbonated beverages when we say coke...*)... I know there are lots of other medical reasons to limit sodium but I can't think of them right now.. and since I'm not a Dr. (I just play one on TV) I could be inaccurate on some of these tidbits. Anyway.. I'll look for a few links for you.