Chili
originated in the Americas, and has been part of the human diet since
at least 7500 BC. Explorer Christopher Columbus brought it back to
Spain in the 15th century and its cultivation spread rapidly through
Europe, Asia, India and Africa.
There
are more than 200 varieties, coloured anything from yellow to green
to red to black, and varying in heat from mildly warm to
mouth-blisteringly hot.
The
hottest are usually the smallest: habanero orange, African bird's eye
and Scotch bonnet. Green chillies are unripe, so usually aren't as
hot as red ones. The active ingredient is capsaicin, most of which
comes from the seeds and the veins. So if you prefer your chilli
milder, try a green one and remove the seeds before chopping. Wash
your hands well afterwards as the burn can linger.
A
1/2-cup, 75-gram serving of chopped, raw green chili pepper contains
884 International Units of vitamin A. This amount supplies nearly 30
percent of the Food and Nutrition Board's recommended daily allowance
of vitamin A for an adult man and 38 percent for a woman. Vitamin A
helps with the synthesis of red blood cells and is an essential
component of rhodopsin, the protein that allows retinal receptors in
the eye to absorb light. It is also necessary for proper growth and
development and to support immune system health. Without adequate
vitamin A, you may be more likely to develop cancer and vision
disorders.
Vitamin
C
Green
chili peppers provide 181.9 milligrams of vitamin C in every 1/2-cup
serving, or well over 100 percent of the required daily intake ofvitamin C for adults. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is
required by the body to help synthesize collagen, promote the healing
of skin wounds and aid in the development of strong bones. It also
acts as an antioxidant by preventing free radical damage to DNA. A
diet rich in vitamin C may lower your risk of hypertension, cancer,
heart disease and osteoarthritis.
The concentration of vitamin C in a
green chili pepper decreases with exposure to heat, light and air.
When you purchase fresh chilis, store them in a cool, dark location
and use them within three to four days.
Vitamin
K
The
body needs vitamin K in order to produce proteins crucial for blood
coagulation and to support the development and maintenance of bones.
Each 1/2-cup serving of green chilis contains 10.7 micrograms of
vitamin K. For a man, this fulfills 8.9 percent of his RDA of vitamin
K. For a woman, a green chili serving is almost 12 percent of her
daily vitamin K requirement. Regularly eating foods high in vitamin K
like green chili peppers may help decrease your risk of osteoporosis
and of bleeding dangerously large amounts when you are cut or
injured.
Health
Benefits
Fight
Inflammation
Chili
peppers contain a substance called capsaicin, which gives peppers
their characteristic pungence, producing mild to intense spice when
eaten. Capsaicin is a potent inhibitor of substance P, a neuropeptide
associated with inflammatory processes. The hotter the chili pepper,
the more capsaicin it contains. The hottest varieties include
habanero and Scotch bonnet peppers. Jalapenos are next in their heat
and capsaicin content, followed by the milder varieties, including
Spanish pimentos, and Anaheim and Hungarian cherry peppers.
Capsaicin
is being studied as an effective treatment for sensory nerve fiber
disorders, including pain associated with arthritis, psoriasis, and
diabetic neuropathy. When animals injected with a substance that
causes inflammatory arthritis were fed a diet that contained
capsaicin, they had delayed onset of arthritis, and also
significantly reduced paw inflammation.
Natural
Pain Relief
Topical
capsaicin is now a recognized treatment option for osteoarthritis
pain. Several review studies of pain management for diabeticneuropathy have listed the benefits of topical capsaicin to alleviate
disabling pain associated with this condition.
In
a double-blind placebo controlled trial, nearly 200 patients with
psoriasis were given topical preparations containing either capsaicin
or placebo. Patients who were given capsaicin reported significant
improvement based on a severity score, which traced symptoms
associated with psoriasis. The side effect reported with topical
capsaicin cream is a burning sensation in the area of application.
Cardiovascular
Benefits
Red
chili peppers, such as cayenne, have been shown to reduce blood
cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and platelet aggregation, while
increasing the body's ability to dissolve fibrin, a substance
integral to the formation of blood clots. Cultures, where hot pepper
is used liberally have a much lower rate of heart attack, stroke and
pulmonary embolism.
Spicing
your meals with chili peppers may also protect the fats in your blood
from damage by free radicals - a first step in the development of
atherosclerosis. In a randomized, crossover study involving 27
healthy subjects (14 women, 13 men), eating freshly chopped chili was
found to increase the resistance of blood fats, such as cholesterol
and triglycerides, to oxidation (free radical injury).
Subjects
were randomly divided into 2 groups. For 4 weeks, half the subjects
ate a freshly chopped chili blend (30 grams/day, about 1 ounce),
consisting of 55% cayenne, while the other half consumed a bland diet
(no chili). After 4 weeks, the groups were crossed over for another 4
weeks. During the intervention periods, consumption of other spices
such as cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and mustard was restricted. Blood
samples were obtained at the beginning of the study and after each
dietary period.
After
eating the chili-containing diet, the rate of oxidation (free radical
damage to cholesterol and triglycerides) was significantly lower in
both men and women than that seen after eating the bland diet.
In
addition, after eating the chili-spiced diet, women had a longer lag
time before any damage to cholesterol was seen compared to the lag
time seen after eating the bland diet. In men, the chili-diet also
lowered resting heart rate and increased the amount of blood reaching
the heart.
Clear
Congestion
Capsaicin
not only reduces pain, but its peppery heat also stimulates
secretions that help clear mucus from your stuffed up nose or
congested lungs.
Boost
Immunity
Chili
peppers' bright red color signals its high content of beta-carotene
or pro-vitamin A. Just two teaspoons of red chili peppers provide
about 6% of the daily value for vitamin C coupled with more than 10%
of the daily value for vitamin A. Often called the anti-infectionvitamin, vitamin A is essential for healthy mucous membranes, which
line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract and urinary tract
and serve as the body's first line of defense against invading
pathogens.
Help
Stop the Spread of Prostate Cancer
Red
chili pepper's capsaicin, the compound responsible for their pungent
heat, stops the spread of prostate cancer cells through a variety of
mechanisms, indicates a study published in the March 15, 2006 issue
of Cancer Research. Capsaicin triggers suicide in both primary types
of prostate cancer cell lines, those whose growth is stimulated by
male hormones and those not affected by them. In addition, capsaicin
lessens the expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), inhibits
the ability of the most potent form of testosterone,
dihydrotestosterone, to activate PSA, and directly inhibits PSA
transcription, causing PSA levels to plummet.
The
dose effect for test animals was equivalent to 400 milligrams of
capsaicin, three times a week, for a man weighing about 200 pounds.
After four weeks of receiving capsaicin, prostate cancer tumor growth
and size decreased significantly in the animals. One warning:
Excessive intake of hot chilies has been linked to stomach cancer, so
don't go overboard.
Prevent
Stomach Ulcers
Chili
peppers have a bad--and mistaken--reputation for contributing to
stomach ulcers. Not only do they not cause ulcers, they can help
prevent them by killing bacteria you may have ingested, while
stimulating the cells lining the stomach to secrete protective
buffering juices.
Lose
Weight
All
that heat you feel after eating hot chili peppers takes energy--and
calories to produce. Even sweet red peppers have been found to
contain substances that significantly increase thermogenesis (heat
production) and oxygen consumption for more than 20 minutes after
they are eaten.
Lower
Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Making
chili pepper a frequently enjoyed spice in your Healthiest Way ofEating could help reduce your risk of hyperinsulinemia (high blood
levels of insulin) —a disorder associated with type 2 diabetes.
In
a study published in the July 2006 issue of the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, Australian researchers show that the amount of
insulin required to lower blood sugar after a meal is reduced if the
meal contains chili pepper. When chili-containing meals are a regular
part of the diet, insulin requirements drop even lower.
Plus,
chili's beneficial effects on insulin needs to get even better as body
mass index (BMI, a measure of obesity) increases. In overweight
people, not only do chili-containing meals significantly lower the
amount of insulin required to lower blood sugar levels after a meal,
but the chili-containing meals also result in a lower ratio of C-peptide/
insulin, an indication that the rate at which the liver is clearing
insulin has increased.
The
amount of C-peptide in the blood also shows how much insulin is being
produced by the pancreas. The pancreas produces proinsulin, which
splits into insulin and C-peptide when secreted into the bloodstream.
Each molecule of proinsulin breaks into one molecule of C-peptide and
one molecule of insulin, so less C-peptide means less insulin has
been secreted into the bloodstream.
In
this study, which involved 36 subjects aged 22-70 years, the effects
of three interventions were evaluated. Subjects were given a bland
meal after a bland diet containing no spices, a chili-containing meal
after a bland diet, and finally, a chili-containing meal after a
chili-containing diet. A palatable chili flavoring, not pure
capsaicin (the active component in chili), was used.
Blood
sugar rose similarly after all three interventions, but insulin rose
the most after the bland meal after a bland diet and the least after
the chili-containing meal after a chili-rich diet.
The
maximum increases in insulin after the bland diet followed by a
chili-containing meal were 15% lower than after the bland meal
following a bland diet, and 24% lower after the chili-containing meal
after a chili-rich diet compared to the chili-containing meal after
the bland diet.
C-peptide
blood levels also increased the most after the bland meal after a
bland diet and the least after the chili-containing meal after a
chili-rich diet, showing the least insulin was secreted after the
chili-rich diet and meal.
In
addition, the C-peptide/insulin ratio was highest after the
chili-containing meal after a chili-rich diet, indicating an increase
in the liver's ability to clear insulin.
Besides
capsaicin, chilies contain antioxidants, including vitamin C and
carotenoids, which might also help improve insulin regulation.
A
little chili pepper can really perk up an omelet, add heat to a black
bean/sweet potato soup, or transform an ordinary salad dressing. So,
spice up your meals with chili peppers. Your body will need to make
less insulin and will use it more effectively. No need to go
overboard though. Population studies in India and Mexico suggest that
loading up on hot chilies at every meal may be linked to increased
risk of stomach cancer.
Capsaicin
: Chilies have vitamin C and Vitamin A containing beta-carotenoids
which are powerful antioxidant. These antioxidants destroy free
radical bodies. Usually, these radical bodies may travel in the body
and cause huge amounts of damage to cells. These radical bodies could
damage nerves and blood vessel in diabetes.
The
antioxidants present in the chili wipe out the radical bodies that
could build up cholesterol causing major heart diseases such as
atherosclerosis.
Chilies
have antioxidants that can destroy cholesterol, which could cause
major disease like atherosclerosis and other heart diseases. Other
disease like cataract and arthritis like osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis. It also dilates airway of the lungs which reduces
asthma and wheezing.
Detoxicants: Chilies act as detoxifiers as they remove waste products from our
body and increases supply nutrients to the tissues. It also acts as
gastrointestinal detoxicants helping in digestion of food.
Painkiller : Chilies stimulate the release of endorphins that are
natural pain killers. It relieves pain caused due to shingles (Herpes
Zoster), bursitis, diabetic neuropathy and muscle spasm in shoulders,
and extremities. It also helps in relieving arthritic pains in the
extremities.
Antibiotic
: Chilies bring fresh blood to the site of the infection. The fresh
blood fights infection. The white blood cells and leukocytes present
in the fresh blood fights viruses.
Brain
: Capsaicin stimulates brain to excrete endorphin and gives a sense
of pleasure when ingested. This is the reason people get addicted to
chili.
Cancer
: It has been noted that vitamin C, beta-carotene and folic acid
found in chili reduces the risk of colon cancer. Chilies such as red
pepper have carotenoid lycopene, which prevents cancer disease.
Heart
Attack : Chilies have vitamin B6 and folic acid. The vitamin B
reduces high homocysteine level. High homocysteine levels have been
shown to cause damage to blood vessels and are associated with a
greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It also converts
homocysteine into other molecules which is beneficial to lowercholesterol level.
Lung
disease : Chilies gives relief from nasal congestion by increasing
the metabolism. It also dilates airway of the lungs which reduces asthma
and wheezing. It relieves chronic congestion in people who are heavy
drinkers.
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