Red pepper - benefits and harm to the body in raw and dried form

Chili pepper: composition

This vegetable has long been used to treat various diseases, primarily colds. Since there is much more vitamin C in the pod than in lemon, and more vitamin A than in carrots. Peppers also contain a lot of other vitamins K, P, E, B2 and B6.

Contains spicy minerals - magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc. But its main active component is capsaicin, which gives the spicy taste to this pepper and is most abundant in the seeds and partitions.

Varieties and prevalence of culture

The type of chili pepper is recognized as the hottest in the world.
The varieties are united by a bitter taste and brightly colored fruits. Chili pods are usually small and their shape can vary. The historical homeland of the culture is South America. However, today hot pepper is grown in Mexico, Africa, Thailand, Asia, Japan, India and other countries. The degree of pungency varies between varieties. Average pungency of varieties:

Tabasco;
Jalapeño;
Pasilla;
Cayenne pepper.

Fire varieties include:

Habanero;
Serrano;
Byrd Green.

Moderate pungency belongs to:

Poblano;
Lombok;
Padron;
Shishito.

Benefits of chili pepper

Pepper is widely used in cooking, medicine and cosmetology. The use of this spice in various dishes helps reduce or replace salt consumption altogether, which means it helps fight excess weight and cardiovascular diseases.

1. Helps improve digestion and speed up metabolism in the body, as it increases the secretion of gastric juice.

2. Helps cope with gastritis and stomach ulcers, thanks to the component capsaicin, which can fight the bacterium Helicobacter Pylori.

3. This vegetable has antibacterial properties. Based on it, medicinal toothpastes and various ointments are made.

4. Pepper helps fight colds and runny noses, increases immunity and the body's resistance to various infections. And this is also thanks to capsaicin.

5. Hot peppers have antioxidant properties.

6. Chili pepper is useful for people with cardiovascular diseases and for patients with atherosclerosis. When consumed even in small quantities, pepper lowers cholesterol and increases the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels. It also reduces blood pressure and the risk of thrombosis.

7. A special cream is produced based on hot pepper, which must be rubbed into the temples for severe headaches and migraines.

8. Pepper helps fight malignant diseases, capsaicin can kill cancer cells, it triggers the process of self-destruction of malignant cells.

9. Chili pepper improves mood thanks to endorphin - the “hormone of joy”, which our body releases into the blood as a protective reaction to bitterness and burning in the mouth, because it perceives it as stress or danger.

Conclusion! By regularly including hot peppers in your diet, you will always be in a good mood, relieve insomnia, increase immunity, get sick less, improve blood circulation and reduce headaches.

Chili pepper for men

The benefits and harms of ground red pepper

The best pepper is the one that is ground together with the seeds, because they contain more useful substances than the fruit itself. This spice has a more intense taste, which is preserved during long-term storage, as well as a more natural color. By the way, real ground red pepper should have an intense red or red-orange color.

The effect of ground red pepper on the human body is as follows: it helps stimulate appetite, which leads to stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract, that is, better digestion of food. It also improves the functioning of the pancreas, encouraging it to produce the enzymes necessary for the functioning of the stomach.

The beneficial effect of ground red pepper on blood circulation is known. As Ayurveda experts say, it warms up the blood, thereby helping to cleanse blood vessels and increase their elasticity. That's why you may hear that pepper is good for the heart.

. The carotenoids contained in the spice help improve vision. But since we consume pepper only as a seasoning, we cannot talk about a strong effect on vision.

Pepper is used externally for various joint diseases in the form of compresses and pepper plasters to relieve coughs and other bronchopulmonary diseases. It is used for rheumatism and arthritis as a warming agent.

With all this, ground red pepper is contraindicated for people with severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or during exacerbations of these diseases. There are also cases of allergies to certain types of pepper or spices with its addition.

Coffee recipe for weight loss

This coffee triggers metabolic processes in the body and helps you lose excess weight.

You will need:

100 ml. – clean water
2 heaped teaspoons of freshly ground coffee (the dose can be changed at your discretion)
¼ small pod of hot pepper
½ teaspoon – cinnamon

How to cook:

1. Pour coffee and cinnamon into a pot and add water.

2. Place on fire and bring to a boil.

3. Immediately throw a piece of pepper into the hot coffee and leave for 5 minutes. You can drink! The fat burning drink is ready!

Bon appetit!

Chili pepper for women

Chili pepper: benefits for women

1. The spicy pods help women fight cellulite. Special anti-cellulite programs have been developed based on chili pepper.

These drugs are based on the ability of pepper to increase blood circulation and cause a rush of blood to problem areas, which helps get rid of fat cells and orange peel.

2. The same property of the burning pods is also used to improve hair growth. Hot pepper-based masks, when applied to the scalp, cause an irritating effect, which promotes strong blood flow to the hair follicles.

In addition, the vegetable contains in its chemical composition all the necessary vitamins for hair growth and strengthening - vitamins C, P and A.

Unit

You may not know it, but the heat of chili can be measured in Scoville units. It was developed 100 years ago by an American pharmacist, thereby perpetuating his family name.

Interesting!
Chili peppers have nothing in common with black peppercorns. The latter is the unripe fruit of an evergreen vine growing in India. Black pepper is grown on coffee plantations because the bindweed makes the coffee grow better.

The famous bitterness of chili comes from the fiery substance capsaicin. There is especially a lot of it in the seeds and partitions of ripe fruits. Depending on the type of pepper, the capsaicin content can vary greatly. For example, there is almost no of it in sweet vegetable peppers, but in their hotter counterparts there is so much that you can cause a real fire in your throat, and so much so that tears flow from your eyes.

No wonder tear gas is made from chili. The Indians also knew about this property of peppers and, defending themselves from the Spanish conquerors, used a secret weapon: they threw ground pepper into the fires, which temporarily made their enemies almost blind. The natives themselves did not care for such a burning attack: if you constantly eat peppers, you begin to get used to capsaicin.

Hair growth mask based on hot pepper

This tincture is prepared for hair growth.

You need to: chop 1 large or 2 small chili pods and pour in 200 g. vodka. Leave for a week in a dark place to infuse. This tincture can be purchased at any pharmacy, but it is better to prepare it yourself.

The tincture should be rubbed into the roots of the hair, insulate the head with a plastic bag and a cap, and rinse off after 40 minutes. If the burning sensation is completely unbearable, then it’s better to wash it off earlier!

Useful tips!

1. You can add milk or any vegetable oil (preferably olive) to the tincture, so you will definitely NOT get a scalp burn.

2. After removing the mask, apply any softening balm.

3. Masks must be done regularly (1-2 times a week) and kept for the required time, although the mask is very hot! For a positive result, you need to make 10 masks.

4. If an allergic reaction occurs, it is better to avoid using masks.

5. If the product gets on the mucous membranes, wash the damaged areas with milk. Water will not help in this case!

Hair masks

The use of pepper for medicinal purposes

Hot pepper not only has excellent taste - it has a lot of medicinal properties. This product has a beneficial effect on the functioning of various organs, systems and endocrine glands.

For vessels

Eating this fruit helps lower blood pressure in case of hypertension, cleans blood vessels, removes “bad” cholesterol from the body, etc.

In addition, the product has anticoagulant properties, thereby preventing the formation of blood clots. And this is one of the main reasons for the development of strokes and heart attacks.

Pepper can be eaten raw (no more than 1 piece per day), or in the form of sauces, seasonings for salads and other similar dishes. This therapy has no time limits - you can eat the spice even every day.

To lose weight, you can use one of two recipes:

Take a teaspoon of ground pepper and dissolve in a glass of boiling water.
Pour chili powder with vodka or medical alcohol in a ratio of 1:5, respectively. Leave for 21 days.

The rules for using both medications are the same. They drink 5 ml half an hour before meals. You need to drink the product with clean still water.

Help with colds

For colds accompanied by a severe cough, pepper tea helps. To prepare it, you need to pour a pinch of hot spice into a glass of boiling water. When the infusion reaches room temperature, add 5 ml of honey to it. Drink the finished product in one go.

Benefits for the stomach

Before using medications made from this product for stomach diseases, you must consult your doctor.

Pour half a teaspoon of ground chili powder into a liter of boiling water. Leave until completely cool. The medicine should be taken 5 ml half an hour before meals.
Alcohol tincture. Cut several pods of fresh capsicum into small pieces, pour a glass of vodka. Infuse for 14 days in a cool, dark place. The rules for use are the same as for the infusion.

Remarkable!

Such medications are even used to stop stomach bleeding.

To relieve an attack of cephalalgia or migraine, it is recommended to take a few drops of fresh cayenne pepper juice. By the way, this medicine will be effective for high blood pressure.

Rejuvenation

The use of this fruit for rejuvenation involves adding a few drops of freshly squeezed juice to creams, tonics, lotions for the face and body. But you don't need to be too zealous, otherwise you can get serious burns. 3 – 5 drops of juice will be enough for 1 tube of cream.

For skin and hair

Based on this product, various masks for the face and hair are prepared.

Select seeds from a third of the red peppercorns and grind them well. Add 15 ml of cabbage and carrot juice to the mixture. Mix all ingredients and apply the finished mask to your face. After 10 minutes, remove the remaining mixture with a cotton pad, then wash well. At the very end, you need to apply a nourishing cream to the skin.
Grind fresh peppers – bell and chili. Take 2 tbsp. l. first ingredient, mix it with 1 tsp. second, add 15 ml of homemade fat sour cream and 1 yolk. Whisk all ingredients thoroughly, then apply to previously cleansed facial skin. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse with a warm decoction of medicinal herbs.

This mask is perfect for dry skin. For oily epidermis, sour cream can be replaced with low-fat kefir. This product should be washed off with cool water.
Another recipe for dry skin. The mixture of peppers is the same as in the previous recipe, but instead of sour cream or kefir, 15 ml of olive oil or milk is added to the mixture. All components are thoroughly beaten, after which the facial skin is treated with the composition. The mask is left on for a quarter of an hour, then removed using a cosmetic disc. This is followed by thorough washing and application of nourishing cream.

Red pepper resists hair breakage and hair loss. Its juice in small quantities can also be added to shampoos, balms, and hair conditioners.

You can also rub an alcohol tincture of this fruit into the scalp (the recipe was given earlier), mixed in equal proportions with any vegetable oil, 1-2 times a week. Leave this mask on for half an hour, wrapping your head in a towel, then rinse with a mild shampoo.

Results of using a chili mask

You can make a mask based on 30 ml of hot chili tincture with the same amount of fatty kefir. The mixture is placed in a water bath and heated to the optimal temperature, and then applied to the scalp. The mask should be left on for 2-3 hours, while the head should be wrapped in a warm scarf.

If you carry out such procedures 1-2 times a week, then after just a few sessions you will notice that your hair has become stronger and has begun to split less.

Masks for strengthening hair with chili pepper

Very effective pepper masks for strengthening hair and combating hair loss:

1. Mix pepper tincture 1:1 with castor oil, add your favorite hair balm. Apply the mask carefully with a brush to the roots of your hair, warm your head and rinse off after 40 minutes. You can do it sooner if you run out of patience!

2. Mix 2 full tbsp. spoons of burdock oil, pepper tincture and clean cold water. The mask is applied to the hair roots for 40 minutes. Then rinse off. Don't forget to insulate your head with cellophane and a warm towel or hat.

3. Honey mask. This mask does NOT use tincture, but dry ground red chili pepper. For the mask, you need to mix 4 large spoons of fresh liquid honey with one spoon of ground pepper. Apply the mask to clean, damp hair, warm your head and leave on for 40 minutes. Then rinse with warm water.

Chili peppers make your hands burn, what should you do?

1. The first neutralizer of capsaicin (it is thanks to it that we get such an unpleasant effect) is milk. Place your burned hand in a glass of milk; you can also add ice cubes. Casein neutralizes capsaicin and the burning sensation will disappear.

2. You can wipe the affected areas with Vaseline or vegetable oil.

3. Mix baking soda with cold water to a thick paste and apply to the skin area. When the mask dries, rinse with cold water.

4. Pure alcohol helps remove the burning sensation; fortunately, it is a good solvent for capsaicin. You can wipe the area of skin with a cotton pad until the discomfort goes away.

On a note! If you eat hot peppers and the burning sensation is too strong for you, wash it down and rinse your mouth with milk or eat fresh yogurt.

How to store chili peppers

How to store chili peppers at home

There are several ways to store pods at home, but I want to immediately note that chili, like Bulgarian sweet, can ripen. If you picked green pods from the garden bed, they will ripen safely on the windowsill in a few days.

1. Fresh pods can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks or frozen.

2. You can flavor table vinegar. To do this, throw a few pieces of fresh pepper into a bottle with vinegar.

3. In oil. Wash, peel, cut fresh pods into pieces, place in a clean glass jar and pour in any slightly warmed vegetable oil. This way Chili can be stored for a very long time.

4. Can be dried. Wash the peppers, tie them into a bun by their tails and hang them in the sun (you can do it on the balcony). In a month Chile will be ready. If there are few peppers, then drying can be done in the oven or simply spread the pods on the windowsill.

I recommend preparing:

Pickled hot peppers for the winter - 12 most delicious recipes

Contraindications to the use of chili peppers and harm to the body

Chili is a collective name that includes several varieties of this plant. The types of pepper depend on the taste, shape, size and other parameters of the fruit. The main types of this culture:

Anaheim. Other names for pepper are Magdalena or Californian chile. The fruit is green in color, elongated in shape, and slightly spicy in taste. It has a pleasant, fruity-spicy aroma.

Anaheim
Banana. The second name is Wax Pepper. The fruit has an oblong thin shape. Its aroma can be described as soft, piquant, while the taste of this type of chili is sweet, but not cloying.
Cayenne chili. This pepper has a glossy skin that is wrinkled in appearance. It has a curved, oblong shape. Its aroma is smoky, tart, and its taste is pungent.

Cayenne chili
Fresno. This pepper is distinguished by its miniature size. It has a conical shape and a smooth, but quite durable shell. There are many seeds inside the fruit. The taste of Fresno is hot and warm, the aroma is spicy. When dried, the fruit acquires a smoky flavor.
Habanero. This fruit looks like a lantern and has a green or bright red hue. It has a pungent, exotic taste and sweet aroma. The taste and smell of the fruit are vaguely reminiscent of tropical fruits.

Habanero
Jalapeño. The pepper has a curved shape, a blunt tip and smooth skin. It has a spicy, pungent, slightly vinegar-like taste. This is one of the most famous varieties of chili peppers all over the world.
Padron. This pepper is also called Spanish. It has a curved shape, with thin grooves visible along the peel. This fruit has a unique smell that combines the aroma of thyme, hot pepper, and parsley. This pepper is a mild variety.

Padron
Piquillo. Another red sweet pepper. It has a conical shape and a smooth skin.
Poblano. Other names for the fruit are Ancho, Mulato. This fruit is large in size and dark green in color. Its shape is curved, elongated, and the peel is thick. The taste of this fruit is bright, spicy, earthy.
Red Thai chili pepper. It is distinguished by its small size, smooth and thin skin. When ripe, peppercorns acquire a red tint.

Thai chili pepper
Serrano. Peppers have an elongated shape with rounded tips. The peel is smooth and shiny. The taste is quite specific, bright, slightly sour.
Shishito. Japanese pepper is an elongated fruit with grooves all over its surface. The shell is glossy, bright, and green in color.

Of course, not all varieties of chili are used in folk medicine. Most of them are used in cooking; for therapeutic purposes they resort to consuming the red, hot fruit.