Chilies not only heat up your food, they also fire up the immune system. We reveal what benefits chillies have for your health and which chili pepper is the hottest in the world.
Table of Contents
What’s in the chili?
Humans can distinguish five tastes, spiciness is not one of them. In fact, “flavorfulness” is pain. Certain components of “spicy” foods sometimes trigger severe irritation of heat and pain receptors on our tongue. The fiery, hot burning and stabbing throbbing that chili peppers in particular cause in our mouth is pure pain. It is not surprising that spicy food does not appeal to everyone. Opinions differ, especially when it comes to chili. The fiery pods have ruined many a meal and left behind painful memories. We should actually eat spicy food much more often. Because hotness – and especially chillies – have many proven positive effects on our health.
- Carbohydrates (8.8 grams)
- Fiber (1.5 grams)
- Fats (0.4 grams)
- Protein (1.9 grams)
- Vitamin C (144 milligrams)
- Vitamin B6 (0.51 Micrograms)
- Provitamin A (48 Mikrogramm)
- Iron (1 milligram)
- Potassium (322 milligrams)
- Capsaicin (0.01 to 6 grams depending on the type of chili)
By the way : The hotness of a chili pepper is measured in the Scoville unit. A sweet pepper has about 0-10 Scoville, a hot pepper between 100 and 500, commercial Tabasco sauce about 5,000 Scoville and pepper spray for self-defense against humans has up to 300,000 Scoville. The currently hottest chili in the world is the “Carolina Reaper” breed, the pod measures around 2,200,000 Scoville.
These are the effects of hot chilies
1. Antibacterial effect
The alkaloid capsaicin makes chilies hot. In our bodies, the substance activates the heat and pain receptors. What is sometimes painful, but has some health benefits. Because capsaicin has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. As a result, the chili substance not only makes food and dishes last longer, but also helps to fight off bacteria and infections in our bodies. Capsaicin also stimulates gastric acid production. This makes it difficult for bacteria that we ingest from food to multiply in our digestive tract.
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2. Improved blood circulation
Chilies promote blood circulation and get the circulation going. The capsaicin contained in the pods dilates the blood vessels. More blood reaches even the smallest vessels in our bodies, one reason spicy food makes us blush. This increased blood flow can also help relieve muscle pain. Heat patches, for example, rely on capsaicin, which irritates the skin cells, increases blood flow and thus provides healing heat. Stimulated blood flow can also be beneficial for heart health and help prevent artery disease . The blood circulation-promoting effect of hot chili can also be effective for headaches. If the blood flow in the brain is stimulated, the worst symptoms of migraines can sometimes be alleviated.
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3. Strong immune system
The body’s defenses also benefit from hot chilies. The sharpness stimulates the blood circulation in our mucous membranes. Strong mucous membranes can fight off bacteria and external pollutants much better than dry mucous membranes with poor circulation. In addition, chili is full of other important nutrients that have positive effects on our health. The vitamin C in 100 grams of chilli alone corresponds to 173% of the daily requirement. Vitamin A and iron are important for the production of red blood cells, which have a signaling function in the event of impending infections.
4. Healthy heart, healthy brain
We have known for some time that the Mediterranean diet is particularly healthy and easily digestible. In a study a few years ago, Italian researchers explicitly examined the health-promoting properties of chilies as part of the Mediterranean diet. For this purpose, the health data of more than 22,000 residents of the Mediterranean region who regularly ate chilli were observed and evaluated over a period of eight years. The results: Subjects who consumed chilies four times a week had a 40 percent lower risk of heart attack death than chili haters. The risk of dying as a result of a stroke also fell by up to 50 percent among those who ate a lot of chili.