The Benefits and Harms of Chili
Chili pepper is a widely used spice in many parts of the world. It has been reported that chili ingestion causes several health-related problems like heartburn, stomach burning sensation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Chili consumption can also increase appetite due to the release of endorphins and cannabinoids during digestion. Also, it stimulates the taste buds responsible for sensing sweet and bitter tastes.
The pungency of chili is attributed to capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin which cause a burning sensation in the mouth, eyes, and stomach along with sweating, tearing, and increased heart rate.
Several scientific studies suggest that regular consumption of chili may prevent various health-related problems like cancer, heart diseases, respiratory disorders, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and neurodegenerative diseases.
It is also reported that chili helps in fat burning, enhances immunity, and reduces inflammation of joints. However, there are many side effects associated with the use of chili which limits its usage as a therapeutic agent. Herein we review the benefits and harms of chili consumption.
Benefits of chili peppers:
There are a thousand and one uses for chili peppers, from cooking to alternative medicine! Not only can they help with weight loss but eating spicy food has been known to have the following benefits:
-Aids in digestion by increasing the heart rate which is why it makes you sweat.
-Makes your breath fresher. The spiciness of chili burns the bacteria that live in your mouth, therefore, keeping your breath fresh.
-Capsaicin found in chili can kill cancer cells and prevent the growth of tumors.
-Reduces blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion, which helps you lose weight.
-Can help fight depression; boosting endorphins (which boost happiness).
-Eating chili peppers can also boost your metabolism. Capsaicin speeds up a process in the body whereby it turns food into energy, therefore, keeping you fuller for longer and not storing it as fat.
-It helps to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by making blood vessels more flexible, healthier and widening them allowing more blood to flow through.
-Can help fight infections where there is a deficiency of vitamin C in the system such as colds and flu etc.
Disadvantages of eating chilies:
-You might suffer from acid reflux, heartburn, or indigestion if you eat too many spicy foods.
-Eating chili sauce with your food can cause any burnable items to catch fire so be careful!
-Capsaicin is ineffective against some types of cancer such as pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer. Also, it can irritate the lining of your stomach and intestinal tract.
-If you suffer from gallstones, then eating chili will make them worse; there is a potential for an attack of acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
-It might irritate any open sores in your mouth or throat such as mouth ulcers, sores from a recent operation, etc.
-If you already have a high heart rate or high blood pressure then eating chili might make these conditions worse as it stimulates your nervous system and speeds up your heart rate so take care!
-Chilies can cause an allergic reaction that manifests itself in many different ways such as hives, facial swelling, etc.
-Eating chili might make you feel sick, give you a stomach ache, or diarrhea.
green chili benefits:
-Boosts your metabolism
-Decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease by making blood vessels more flexible and healthier, therefore allowing more blood to flow through.
-Can help fight infections where there is a deficiency of vitamin C in the system such as colds and flu etc.
how many green chilies to eat in a day?
How many chilies you eat in a day will depend on how spicy they are but you can eat up to 3 chili peppers in one meal without any bad effects. However, if you want to lose weight then it is recommended that you eat 1 or 2 chili peppers in one meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
You should also remember not to eat any dairy products or fatty foods after you have eaten the chilies as this will cause the fat cells to get bigger and block up your arteries so it is best to leave at least 2 hours in between eating chilies and having a meal that contains fat.
use of chili:
The use of chili for medicinal purposes is nothing new. It has been used to cure many ailments such as allergies, asthma, anemia, obesity, and even cancer for centuries by different cultures around the world such as India and Mexico.
Chili peppers were often used in home remedies to treat stomach aches and toothaches; fertility; arthritis; and to fight the common cold.
Today, chili peppers are used in many prescription medicines such as mouthwashes, suppositories, eye drops, creams, and tablets for intestinal gas.
how many carbs are in green chili?
Green chili contains 0 grams of carbohydrate per 100g serving. One whole green chili has 0.25g of carbohydrates so you can see why eating green chili for breakfast, lunch, or dinner is a great idea if you want to lose weight!
So the benefits of eating chilies definitely outweigh any disadvantages as long as you do not eat too many chilies in one day.
Of course, remember not to mix fatty foods such as dairy products with chili as this can cause the fat cells to block up your arteries very quickly! But if you want to lose weight and improve your health then green chili is for you and it brings a whole range of other additional benefits too!