Health benefits of chili and bell peppers

Chili peppers, despite their fiery hotness, are one of very popular spices known for their medicinal and health benefiting properties. The chili, actually, is a fruit pod from the plant belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), within the genus, capsicum.
If you want more flavor in your food plus health benefits like weight loss and pain relief, try adding crushed red pepper to your meals. In traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, a traditional form of Indian medicine, red peppers have been used to treat digestive problems, circulatory problems, infections and arthritis. Most crushed red pepper mixtures contain a variety of different peppers such as bell, jalapeno, ancho and cayenne peppers, which range from mild and peppery to hot and spicy. The pepper seeds are included to increase the spice level.
Red bell peppers are harvested green bell peppers that have ripened and matured, taking on a red color and a sweeter, milder flavor. They are rich in vitamins and can supplement your diet with essential minerals. To get the most nutritious, best-tasting product choose brightly colored red bell peppers with firm, tight skin, and avoid those with dull, shriveled skin.

Weight Maintenance

If you are trying to lose weight without sacrificing nutrition, red bell peppers can be beneficial. Each medium pepper provides 1.18 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of natural sugar, with only 37 calories. Whether you have red bell peppers in a breakfast omelet, on a salad at lunch or with other sauteed vegetables at dinner, they can contribute flavor to a variety of foods without adding an abundance of calories, fat or cholesterol.
Bell pepper is not only an excellent source of carotenoids, but also a source of over 30 different members of the carotenoid nutrient family. A recent study from Spain took a close look vitamin C, vitamin E, and six of these carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin) in all commonly eaten foods and found that only two vegetables contained at least two-thirds of all the listed nutrients. One of these foods was tomato, and the other was sweet bell pepper! Bell pepper alone provided 12% of the total zeaxanthin found in the participants' diets. (Bell pepper also provided 7% of the participants' total vitamin C intake.)
Chili peppers are primarily used as spices, or minor ingredients in various dishes, spice blends and sauces.
They are usually eaten cooked, or dried and powdered, in which form they are known as paprika.

Capsaicin is the main bioactive plant compound in chili peppers, responsible for their unique pungent (hot) taste and many of their health benefits.
Bell peppers are low in calories! So, even if you eat one full cup of them, you get just about 45 calories. Bonus: that one cup will give you more than your daily quota of Vitamin A and C!
If cooked for a short period on low heat, bell peppers retain most of their sweet, almost fruity flavor and flavonoid content, which is a powerful nutrient.
The sulfur content in bell peppers makes them play a protective role in certain types of cancers.
The bell pepper is a good source of Vitamin E, which is known to play a key role in keeping skin and hair looking youthful.
Chili peppers are rich in various vitamins and minerals.
However, since they are only eaten in small amounts, their contribution to the daily intake is very small.
Vitamin C: Chili peppers are very high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, important for wound healing and immune function.
Vitamin B6: A family of B-vitamins, some of which have important functions in energy metabolism.
Vitamin K1: Also known as phylloquinone, vitamin K1 is essential for blood clotting and healthy bones and kidneys.
Potassium: 



An essential dietary mineral that serves a variety of functions in the body. Adequate intake of potassium may reduce the risk of heart disease (2).
Copper: Often lacking in the Western diet, copper is an essential antioxidant trace element, important for strong bones and healthy neurons.
Vitamin A: Red chili peppers are high in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.
They are also good in other antioxidants such as vitamin-A, and flavonoids like ß-carotene, a-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin, and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidant substances in capsicum help protect the body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress, diseases conditions.
Chilies carry a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
Chilies are also good in B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them from external sources to replenish.

Chili peppers' bright red color signals its high content of beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A. Even a small amount of red chili pepper provides vitamins C and A in abundance. Both the vitamins help boost immunity and fight against free radical damage. Vitamin A is essential for healthy mucous membranes that line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract and urinary tract and serve as the body's defense against foreign substances.

*A study published in the 2006 issue of Cancer Research states that Capsaicin triggers suicide in both primary types of prostate cancer cell lines, those whose growth is stimulated by male hormones and those not affected by them. Scientists have proven that capsaicin can reduce cancer cells. There have been several scientific clinical studies completed that have shown that natural capsaicin directly slows and reduces the growth of leukemia cells.

Cancer :

 It has been noted that vitamin C, beta-carotene and folic acid found in chili reduces the risk of colon cancer. Chilies such as red pepper have cartonoid lycopene, which prevents cancer disease.

Heart Attack : 

Chilies have vitamin B6 and folic acid. The vitamin B reduces high homocysteine level. High homocysteine levels have been shown to cause damage to blood vessels and are associated with a greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It also converts homocysteine into other molecules which is beneficial to lower cholesterol level.

Lung disease :

 Chilies gives relief from nasal congestion by increasing the metabolism. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing. It relieves chronic congestion in people who are heavy drinkers.
Cigarette smoke contains benzopyrene which destroys the vitamin A in the body. The vitamin A present in chili reduces inflammation of lungs and emphysema caused due to cigarette smoking.

Detoxicants : 

Chilies acts as detoxifiers as they removes waste products from our body and increases supply nutrients to the tissues. It also acts as gastrointestinal detoxicants helping in digestion of food.

Pain killer : 

Chilies stimulates the release of endorphins that are natural pain killers. It relieves pain caused due to shingles (Herpes Zoster), bursitis, diabetic neuropathy and muscle spasm in shoulders, and extremities. It also helps in relieving arthritic pains in the extremities.

Antibiotic :

 Chilies brings fresh blood to the site of the infection. The fresh blood fights infection. The white blood cells and leukocytes present in the fresh blood fights viruses.

Brain : 

Capsaicin stimulates brain to excrete endorphin and gives a sense of pleasure when ingested. This is the reason people get addicted to chili.

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