Chili peppers!
… some hot and spicy facts!
Christopher Columbus may be the first European to discover the chilis in
the Caribbean in the early 15th century but chili pepper have been part
of human diet since about 7500BC. Archaeological evidence found in
Ecuador shows that peppers were domesticated more than 6000 years ago.
Chili pepper has got four main uses namely culinary, ornamental and most
recently defense and medicinal. Both the fruit and the leaves are eaten.
The chili has a long association with Mexican cuisine but later it also
became a part of Korean, Indian, Indonesian, Szechuan, Thai and other
cooking traditions. Its popularity has seen it adopted into many
cuisines of the World as they say that a little bit of chili just adds a
touch of magic to the taste of the food.
Chili peppers are popular in food. The main question that many ask is
that are hot peppers bad for you? Probably not, according to recent
studies. A common concern is that hot peppers or other spicy foods cause
ulcers, but there's no evidence that they do. Studies of areas where hot
peppers are used extensively in cooking, such as Brazil and Thailand,
have found no higher incidence of stomach ulcers among their
populations. And in a study conducted at a Veterans Administration
hospital, researchers ground up about an ounce of jalapeno pepper and
injected it directly into the stomachs of volunteers. Follow-up
observation showed no damage to their stomach linings. Neither do hot
peppers aggravate nor cause hemorrhoids as has often been claimed.
Capsaicinoids, the 'hot' substance, are broken down before they reach
the lower intestine
There are entire breeds of chili pepper which are not intended for
consumption at all, but are grown only for their decorative qualities,
generally referred to as "ornamental peppers". Some of them are too hot
for most common cooking techniques, or simply don't taste good.
The more recent use of chili pepper is that it’s an excellent device for
self defence. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient of pepper spray.
Capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers so hot, has been found
to reduce pain in arthritis patients when topically applied as a cream
repeatedly over several weeks. Capsaicin cream, which comes in two
strengths, .025 % and .075%, is also used to treat the neuropathic pain
of postherpetic neuralgia. It has been used to treat nerve pain inside
the mouth, for patients with painful sores from cancer therapy. A
commercial preparation of capsaicin is called "Zostrix"...
Dermatologists have reported that applying capsaicin to the skin may
reduce the redness and itch of psoriasis. Check with your doctor before
using this approach...
Chilies are excellent source of Vitamin, A, B, C and E with minerals
like molybdenum, manganese, folate, potassium, thiamin, and copper.
Chili contains seven times more vitamin C than an orange.
Ever since its introduction to India in 1498, chilies have been included
in Ayurvedic medicines and used as tonic to ward off many diseases.
Chilies are good for slimming down as it burns the calorie easily.
Chilies stimulate the appetite, help to clear the lungs, and stimulate
digestive system.
Capsaicin in the chilies, have vitamin C and Vitamin A containing beta-carotenoids
which are powerful antioxidant. These antioxidants destroy free radical
bodies that may travel in the body and cause huge amounts of damage to
cells. The radical bodies could also damage nerve and blood vessel in
diabetes.
Chilies have antioxidants that can destroy cholesterol which could cause
major disease like atherosclerosis and other heart diseases. It also
dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing.
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.
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.
Chilies have antibiotic effect as it brings 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.
Capsaicin stimulates brain to excrete endorphin and gives a sense of
pleasure when ingested. This is the reason people get addicted to chili.
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
cartonoid lycopene, which prevents cancer disease.
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 lower cholesterol level.
Chilies give relief from nasal congestion by increasing the metabolism.
It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing. It
relieves chronic congestion in people who are heavy smokers.
Cigarette smoke contains benzopyrene which destroys the vitamin A in the
body. The vitamin A present in chili reduces inflammation of lungs and
emphysema caused due to cigarette smoking.
Chili also helps to lower the risk of Diabetes; according to a study by
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the amount of insulin
required to lower blood sugar after a meal is reduced if the meal
contains chili pepper. Canadian researchers believe that chilies could
play a vital role in curing diabetes.
Despite the fact that chili peppers have so many health benefits, it’s
still hard to influence people’s behaviour towards it. Some are addicted
towards them while others are just not the big fan of the chilies. There
is a famous Persian saying goes ‘don’t see how small the chilies are,
see how hot they are!’
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