If you eat a lot of chili peppers you may be on the track to better health
Not only do they taste great, but they may also help boost your heart. The American Heart Association recently announced people who regularly consume chili peppers are 26-percent less likely to die from heart disease. Another report found adults in the US who eat the most chili peppers have a 13-percent lower risk of things like cardiovascular disease compared to those who don’t eat any at all.
There’s really no clear number when it comes to how many chili peppers you have to eat to get the benefits
However, it’s said capsaicin, the compound in chili peppers that gives them all the heat, may reduce inflammation. Yet another study found people who eat spicy food may be craving and consuming less salt, which may help control things like blood pressure. Eating spicy food sometimes tricks the brain into thinking you’re full and increases your metabolic rate. Essentially it may help cut down on the calories you consume. As an added bonus to some of the other health benefits, the American Heart Association also found those who regularly consume chili peppers have a 23-percent lower chance of dying from cancer.
If you want to start experimenting with chili peppers but you’re not really sure where to start, you may want to begin on the lower end of the Scoville pepper chart. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper is measured in Scoville heat units. Those on the higher end of the spice scale have the highest SHU, while those on the lower end of the scale are a bit tamer. Peppers like the Poblano and Anaheim sit pretty low on the scale. The Habanero and Scotch Bonnet are considerably higher. You can also try adding in pepper products to things like sauces, soups and curries.