Chili peppers - love it or hate it

The chili pepper are grown all around the world and is widely used as spices and medicine.

Chili peppers have been a part of the human diet as early as 7500 BC. Archaeological evidence shows that chili peppers were cultivated for trade ans cooking in Ecuador more than 6000 years ago.

The substances that gives chili peppers their intensity when ingested are capsaicin and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in pepper spray.

The stem end of the pod has glands which produce the capsaicin, which then flows down through the pod. The white pith, that surrounds the seeds, contains the highest concentrations of capsaicin. Removing the seeds and inner membranes is thus effective at reducing the heat of a pod.

When consumed, capsaicinoids bind with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat. Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and releasing the body's natural painkilling chemical, endorphin.

The "heat" of chili peppers is measured in Scoville units (SHU). Bell peppers rank at 0 (SHU), New Mexico green chilis at about 1,500 SHU, jalapeños at 3,000–6,000 SHU, and the popular hot sauce Tabasco measured at 2,500-5,000 SHU. Habaneros, widely cultivated in Mexico measured at an astonishing 300,000 SHU. And that's not the hottest chili pepper on the planet. The record for the hottest chili pepper was assigned by the Guinness Book of Records to the Naga Jolokia, measuring over 1,000,000 SHU! That's 200 times more hotter than Tabasco.

Red chilis are very rich in vitamin C and provitamin A. Yellow and especially green chilis contain a considerably lower amount of both substances. In addition, peppers are a good source of most B vitamins, and vitamin B6 in particular. They are very high in potassium and high in magnesium and iron. Their high vitamin C content can also substantially increase the uptake of non-heme iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains.


All chili peppers contain phytochemicals known collectively as capsaicinoids. These are a proven treatment for skin pain. They are the primary active ingredient in over-the-counter topical ointments and may alleviate a wide range of joint and muscle pain, including pain from arthritis.

Others benefits of chili pepper include curing inflammation, 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.

It's truly a great discovery for one little vegetable. Love it or hate it, you can count on it.


Source : BBC News
Source : www.whfoods.com

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