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No Pain, No Gain!
There is good reason to spice up your life with chili peppers. Besides the heat, peppers contribute to your good health. Peppers are good sources of vitamins (A and C) but hot peppers also contain capsaicinoids which have many wonderful properties. These (the most common form is capsaicin) cause the ‘hot’ experience when we eat them. The hotness is not sensed by the taste buds. Chili peppers work directly on the pain receptors in the mouth. The enjoyment of the ‘heat’ from these peppers is truly pain. The hotness of peppers is measured in scoville units. Bell peppers have zero scoville units while habanero peppers register 200,000 to 300,000 scoville units. But what benefits do you get from those scoville units?
- Capsaisin kills cancer cells. This is documented in studies about prostate cancer in mice but scientists think that further research may provide new cancer treatments.
- Capsaicin can offer pain relief from headache and arthritis.
- Capsaicin can reduce inflammation
- Capsaisin can reduce sinus congestion
- Capsaisin can increase the metabolizm rate and help control weight
- Capsaisin can sooth intestinal diseases
You can get used to the heat.
The benefits of hot peppers are so great that it will pay off to increase the amount of heat in your diet. You can do this gradually by starting with small amounts of the ‘coolest’ peppers like Anaheim’s or Poblano’s and gradually working your way up to larger quantities of the hotter peppers like jalapeno’s ot serrano’s. Bell peppers have no capsaisin so don’t think you can get the benefits without the pain. Spicing up your diet has benefits because hotter foods are more satisfying to the appetite and you will eat less.
Many people avoid hot peppers and spicy foods and miss the health benefits they can provide because they don’t like the ‘heat’. Don’t let that stop you from enjoying the benefits. Start with small portions of the milder peppers and work up to the hotter ones. Your mouth will adjust. There are a range of hot peppers which make it possible to enjoy them in food while limiting the experience of heat. Removing the seeds and white veins will reduce the ‘heat’ of any pepper. Finally, it is possible to become accustomed to higher levels of hotness by increasing consumption of milder peppers and working up to the hotter ones.
If you find that you have bitten off more ‘heat’ than you can stand, the best antidote is to drink milk or eat rice or bread.
Don’t let getting older be an excuse for a bland diet (unless your doctor tells you). Spice it up with chili peppers and enjoy the health benefits that come along with the flavor.
I have always been a fan of chilli peppers, garlic, ginger and anything spicy. I just don’t like bland food, period.
As you mention Ralph, they are all recommended by the medical profession as an aid to good health.
The only drawback is Montezuma’s revenge which can sometimes strike.
Bill
Ashton-under-Lyne, UK
Bill Murney’s last Blog Post ..The Battle Of Trafalgar – Modern Version
Bill,
You are right. All those foods and seasonings are very healthy. Usually it is just a matter of getting used to the heat and flavor but sometimes there is a physical limitation and you need to talk to a doctor. Spice things up!
Peppers are great for all that ails ya. I used to spray it the face of kids who got into fights at Juvenile Hall. That was real healthy for them, cause, that made em stop dead in their tracks, and kept them from pounding each other to death.
Next time Bill get Montezuma’s revenge, he ought to try a nice cold Corona, with lime, to ease the pain.
Solid advice Ralph; gotta add peppers to the Trader Joes shopping list.
Hansi’s last Blog Post ..Dear Hansi
So you are saying that peppers make a good facial too?
Ralph@retirement lifestyle’s last Blog Post ..Healthy Aging- Bite Into Hot Peppers
Hmmm…no wonder you never see a sickly lookin’ Mexican….
I reckon the reason hot peppers cures headaches is because you’re concentrating so much on the pain in your mouth you forget everything else.
Being of Italian background I don’t mind a bit of pepper in my food but no way near as much as my folks. My mom chomps on the whole. I’m not sure she’s ever tried a jalapeno pepper though. I may have to give one to see her reaction 😉
Sire’s last Blog Post ..Do You Want To Outrank The Probloggers
Sire,
Just be sure to warn her first. You don’t want to mess with Mom!
OK, but knowing my mum I reckon she’ll take a nice bite anyway 😀
Sire’s last Blog Post ..10 Essential WordPress Plugins For The Smart Blogger
Hi Ralph,
Love hot spicy food …yummm.
I was born in Sir Lanka and lived there until my folk moved to Australia when I was 18 yrs old.
Rice and curry has been my favourite food ever since I can remember…the hotter the better.
Cheers
Bryan
Bryan McHeyzer’s last Blog Post ..Comment on List Building Tips by admin
Bryan,
Sounds like you’ve god healthy tastes. Those spices are good for you.