If you don't use pepper at all, you may be doing yourself a disservice. Chili peppers do more than make your mouth hot- they're one of the healthiest foods around.
They're from the same plant family as bell peppers. The scientific name for chili peppers is Capsicum annuum, and they occur in varying colors, sizes, and levels of heat.
Chili peppers can either be dried, powdered, and used as spices or cut up and eaten as a vegetable.
Surprisingly, as much as they're hot, they have high water content. The chemical capsaicin is responsible for the heat.
These peppers also contain high levels of essential minerals and vitamins, such as:
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin K1
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Copper
- Vitamin A
Since you're likely to only eat a small amount of chili pepper at a time, you won't fulfill your daily requirements of these vitamins. However, it's better than nothing.
4 red hot health benefits of chili peppers
1 HEART HEALTH
The capsaicin in chili peppers reduces the levels of triglyceride as well as bad cholesterol.
It also stops blood clots from forming in your blood vessels. Populations that eat lots of chili peppers experience lower rates of heart disease than those that don't.
2 MAY HELP TO SOLVE INTESTINAL DISEASES
Researchers at Duke University conducted a study that showed capsaicin in peppers could provide relief from inflammatory bowel disease. Capsaicin also kills the bacteria that cause the formation of stomach ulcers.
3 FIGHTING INFLAMMATION
It sounds contradictory that hot food fights inflammation, but it's true.
Our body's inflammatory process occurs due to Substance P. Capsaicin neutralizes its impact. That's why peppers are a perfect cure for arthritis, psoriasis, and other inflammatory conditions.
4 CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
The heat from chili peppers promotes the body's ability to burn fat.
They boost your metabolism by making your tissue heat up. Chili peppers also convert white fat into brown fat, which burns calories faster.
Nature provides various kinds of chili peppers, why don't you try them? You can include them in your salad, soup, or scrambled eggs.
NOTE: Always wash your hands after you handle chili peppers, and avoid touching your eyes or any open cuts. However, if your eyes or skin burn, use milk. Take a big gulp of milk, or soak a paper towel in milk and place it on the area that's burning.
With love,
The Sole Toscana Skincare Team
