Hatch green chiles…more than good taste!

Chile peppers, despite in some cases, their fiery “hotness,” are a very popular spice known for medicinal and health benefiting properties. The chile is actually a fruit pod from the plant belonging to the nightshade family, like tomatoes or eggplant.

The chile plant is native to the Central American region where it was used as a spicy ingredient in Mexican cuisines for several thousand years. It was introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish and Portuguese explorers during 16th and 17th centuries and now grown widely in many parts of the world.

They range from the mild, fleshy, Mexican bell peppers to the tiny, fiery, finger-like chile peppers, commonly grown in the Indian subcontinent. The hotness of chile is measured in “Scoville heat units” (SHU). On the Scoville scale, a sweet bell pepper scores 0, a jalapeno around 2,500-4,000 and a Mexican habañeros 200,000 to 500,000…hot, hot, hot!

Health benefits of chile peppers

• Chile peppers contain an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.
•  An alkaloid compound in them, capsaicin,  gives a strong spicy pungent character. Early laboratory studies on experimental mammals suggest that capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. It also found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese individuals.
• Fresh chile peppers, red or green, are a rich source of vitamin-C, 100 g. fresh chiles provide about 143.7 mcg or about 240% of RDA. Vitamin C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant. It is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body protect from scurvy; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
• Also high in antioxidants like vitamin A, and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthins.
• Chiles contain 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.
• High in B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1).

Amazingly high in vitamins and minerals. Just 100 g provides (in % of Recommended daily allowance)

240% of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid),
39% of vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine),
32% of vitamin A,
13% of iron,
14% of copper,
7% of potassium,
but no cholesterol.

Bacteria in your gut

Many of us have heard the term probiotic, but what does it mean?  Probiotics are small organisms that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (micro flora) in the intestines.  The normal human digestive tract contains about 400 types of probiotic bacteria that reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system. The largest group of probiotic bacteria in the intestine is lactic acid bacteria, of which Lactobacillus acidophilus, found in yogurt with live cultures, is the best known. Yeast is also a probiotic substance. Probiotics are also available as supplements.

It has been suggested that probiotics be used to treat problems in the stomach and intestines. But only certain types of bacteria or yeast (called strains) have been shown to work in the digestive tract. It still needs to be proved which probiotics (alone or in combination) work to treat diseases. The strains of probiotics that have been proved to work for a specific disease are not widely available.

What are probiotics used for?

Many people use probiotics to prevent diarrhea, gas, and cramping caused by antibiotics. Antibiotics kill “good” (beneficial) bacteria along with the bacteria that cause illness. A decrease in beneficial bacteria may lead to digestive problems. Taking probiotics may help replace the lost beneficial bacteria. This can help prevent diarrhea.

A decrease in beneficial bacteria may also lead to other infections, such as vaginal yeast and urinary tract infections and symptoms such as diarrhea from intestinal illnesses.

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