Chili is one of the most used ingredients in the kitchens of much of the world. In Mexico, for example, it cannot be absent from the table. This fruit has properties such as capsaicin, which is responsible for giving peppers their heat and is responsible for many of the benefits of eating chili.
A study carried out by scientists at the University of Beijing in China in 2012, linked the consumption of spicy food with a longer life by showing that people who consumed spicy foods up to six times a week reduced their risk of dying prematurely by 14% , versus those who only did it once a week. In addition, its consumption was associated with a lower risk of dying from infectious diseases in women and respiratory or heart diseases in both sexes.
The main benefits of eating chili
In addition to adding a touch of flavor to dishes, there are many scientifically proven benefits of eating chili. We tell you the most common:
Fight tissue inflammation
Chili peppers contain a substance called capsaicin, which gives peppers their characteristic hotness, producing a mild to intense spiciness (depending on the type) when consumed. Capsaicin is being studied as an effective treatment for nervous system disorders caused by inflammation , including pain associated with arthritis, psoriasis, and diabetic neuropathy.
Natural pain relief
Another benefit of eating chili is that it can be used as a natural pain reliever, as numerous review studies of pain management for diabetic neuropathy have shown its efficacy in relieving the disabling pain associated with this condition.
Cardiovascular benefits
Very hot chili peppers and red peppers (such as cayenne) have been shown to lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing the body’s ability to dissolve fibrin, an integral substance for clotting blood. Studies confirm that those who consume hot peppers frequently are less likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes and pulmonary embolism.
Relieves nasal congestion
Capsaicin not only reduces pain, but its spiciness also stimulates mucous secretions, so another benefit of eating chili is that it helps eliminate mucus from a stuffy nose or congested lungs.
Improve defenses
The bright color of red peppers indicates their high beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A content. Just two teaspoons of red bell peppers provide about 6% of the daily value for vitamin C along with more than 10% of the recommended daily vitamin A for the organism . Often called an anti-infective vitamin, vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy mucous membranes – which line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract, and urinary tract – as they serve as the body’s first line of defense against invading pathogens.
Helps weight loss
The best of the benefits of eating chili is that, in addition to flavor, it helps weight loss. All that heat you feel after eating hot peppers requires energy and calories to be produced. Sweet red peppers have even been found to contain substances that significantly increase thermogenesis (heat production) and oxygen consumption for more than 20 minutes after consumption.
Types of chili: which is more beneficial?
There are different types of chili peppers: spicy, irritating, spicy irritating and those lacking both qualities. In any case, the effects they produce in our body will depend on the amount and type that is ingested. There are an infinity of chili peppers (also known as peppers) around the world. For example, only in Mexico grow up to 64 varieties. The most common and known are the following:
- Chile poblano
- jalapeno pepper
- Serrano chile
- Habañero pepper
- Juagillo chili
- Bell pepper
- Chili cayenne
The Scoville Spicy Scale
The benefits of eating chili are produced by ingesting any of its types (to a greater or lesser extent, as we have already seen), so the decision of which is better is left up to the consumer, who will be the one who chooses how much spicy they are able to bear without suffering. To find out how hot each chili pepper is, there is the Scoville spiciness scale , designed in 1912 by the American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in order to investigate the amount of spiciness in chili peppers and peppers.
To do this, Scoville took one extract of each type and determined how much sugar water was required to dilute the “hot” taste until it could not be detected by a voluntary panel of examiners. For example, if you had 1 milliliter (ml) of bell pepper extract, and you took 100 ml of sugar water to dilute it until its heat was no longer detectable, then it would be rated at 100 “Scoville hotness” units.
