Hot pepper - the benefits and harms of hot seasoning

Origin and brief description of the culture

The birthplace of vegetables is America. Indian tribes used it even before Columbus discovered the continent. In 1493, a navigator brought this spice to Spain. Traders from Portugal spread it to Asia. The plant was brought to Russia in the 18th century.

The names of green hot peppers are bitter, chili, paprika. These names are due to the taste and smell of the vegetable.

On a note! There are many varieties of the crop, differing depending on the shape, size of the fruit, height of the bush, yield indicators, taste and other characteristics.

What does the fruit look like?

How is it different from red?

Red pepper is endowed with a spicy aroma and hot taste due to the presence of the phenolic compound capsaicin in its composition. This substance is present in the veins, seeds, and peel of the fruit.

The red vegetable contains a huge amount of vitamins C and A. Green peppers have less of these components.

The difference between green and red

Which is hotter - green or red?

Compared to red chillies, green chillies are less hot. It is worth removing the seeds from the red pepper so that they do not burn with additional heat.

Benefits of chili pepper

Let's continue to look at chili peppers in more detail. The harm and benefit of this product is our next topic. Let's start with the benefits and tell you about them point by point.

1. Thanks to capsaicin, red hot pepper helps digest food, especially heavy food. In addition, when used as a seasoning in the preparation of meat dishes, the latter will be much healthier, since they will contain less carbohydrates, fats and harmful substances. It turns out that a person will happily eat his favorite food, satisfy his appetite, and will not receive extra calories due to their halving due to pepper.

Description of the types of hot green peppers

Pepper has several varieties, which are especially successful when consumed unripe.

Serrano

The homeland of this perennial plant is the areas of the Mexican states where the Sierra mountains are located. That's why this species came to be called that. The first fruits can be harvested 3 months after seed germination.

The bullet-shaped vegetable is small in size (only 4 cm). The skin is smooth, glossy, and colored light green. At biological ripeness it turns red. The partitions inside reduce the pungency. Removing the seeds can reduce the pungency.

Serrano

Jalapeño

The growing period for Jalapeños is 70-80 days. With proper care, you can get up to 35 healthy vegetables.

The bushes reach a height of 1 m. The fruit is small, no more than 8 cm, of an oblong cone shape. The color during ripening is green; ripe peppers acquire a red tint. Weight about 50 g. The taste is spicy-hot, slightly vinegary.

Attention! The seeds contain a lot of pungency, which is why they are not used as food.

Jalapeño

Anaheim

The culture belongs to the early ripening varieties. The period from the emergence of seedlings to the harvesting of green fruits is 90 days.

It is a well leafy plant. New shoots are not formed, which makes them easier to care for and provides the vegetables with enough light. The fruit is 15-16 cm long, cone-flattened in shape with a sharp or concave end.

The severity level on the Scoville scale is 50-2500 units. Therefore, the product is widely used in cooking and the food industry.

Anaheim

Harm of hot pepper

We still have the same chili pepper. The harm and benefits of vegetables are closely interrelated. Having considered a little the benefits of this product, let’s dwell a little on the opposite side of the issue. Even an absolutely healthy person needs to limit its consumption, let alone those who have health problems, especially with the stomach. In patients with gastritis, pepper is likely to irritate the delicate gastric mucosa.

Features of cultivation

The crop can be grown in open ground, a greenhouse, and even on a windowsill at home. To obtain a good pepper harvest, it is important to select the best varieties for given climate conditions. This will reduce financial costs, reduce labor efforts to care for the crop and obtain the expected result.

Landing

To grow peppers, you need to plant seeds. The favorable period for this is the end of February. The procedure is simple and consists of the following steps:

1. Pour boiling water over the container for planting and place drainage (expanded clay, crushed stone, charcoal) on its bottom.
2. Fill the top with soil containing humus, leaf soil, and sand in a ratio of 5:3:2
3. Make holes 1.5 cm deep on the surface of the soil and place 2-3 seeds in each.
4. Cover the plantings with glass or polyethylene.

Shoots will appear in a week. When the first leaves form, plant the seedlings. If the plants are properly cared for, then after 70 days they can be transplanted to a permanent plot.

How to grow seedlings

Transplanting seedlings into open ground or a greenhouse

The area should be well lit and windless. The soil is light, nutritious and loose.

Attention! Plant seedlings in May, when the threat of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to 13-15 °C.

Algorithm for planting seedlings in the ground:

1. Water the seedlings so that they do not experience moisture deficiency when transplanting.
2. Make holes, keeping a distance of 40-50 cm between plants, and 60 cm between rows.
3. Plant the seedlings together with a clod of earth, deepening them into a hole, moisten them and sprinkle them with soil mixture, while leaving the cotyledon leaves above the surface of the earth.

After planting, mulch the beds with peat.

Rules for replanting a plant

Care

Care includes a certain set of works:

• constant watering, especially in dry weather;
• loosening the soil for better air flow to the roots;
• removal of stepsons and lower foliage to ensure ventilation and warming of the crown;
• introduction of nutrients using organic and mineral fertilizers.

Growing crops on your site is easy if you know what care the plants will need in the future.

Cultivation care

Diseases and pests

Green capsicums can be affected by anthracosis, gray mold, and bacterial spot. Insidious pests - aphids, spider mites, naked slugs. Parasites must be combated by treating the bushes with insecticides.

To prevent infections and insect attacks, it is necessary to work proactively, adhering to some rules:

• at the stage of planting seedlings, use only fertilized soil;
• treat seeds before planting, carry out root and foliar feeding;
• When watering, do not use cold water, and do not over-moisten or dry out the soil;
• If infestations are detected, immediately spray the bushes using protective agents.

Calorie content and chemical composition

Green hot pepper is a supplier of nutrients, vitamins and vital mineral elements.

Many people are interested in how many calories are in a vegetable. Energy value per 100 g of product:

Pepper is rich in essential oils, alkaloids, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, steroid compounds (phytosterols, capsicosides), and fiber.

The benefits of the product are also due to the high content of vitamins and minerals, which are listed in the table.

Due to the rich chemical composition of the product, it is recommended to include it in the menu for excellent health, increased vitality, and support tone.

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

Many people love dishes with a little sparkle, and those who like particularly spicy sensations prefer raw red pepper, the benefits and harms of which are discussed in our article. We will tell you what properties the bitter vegetable has, whether you can use the hot spice every day, and share the most unusual recipes using it.

Fieldfare (lat. Sorbaria)

Fieldfare is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 3 meters in height. They produce abundant root shoots, forming dense thickets. It is necessary for growth that the root collar of the bush does not rise above the ground; it should be deepened by 3-5 cm.

Features of application

The advantage of green hot pepper is its use in various areas.

In cooking

The taste of pepper allows me to prepare many dishes from it. Therefore, it can be eaten raw and used:

• in pickles, sauces, marinades;
• as an additive to various soups, aromatic pastries;
• baked, fried, dried.

In addition to its piquancy, pepper adds a specific crunch to dishes. It can not only be pickled for the winter, but also salted and then preserved.

Green pepper in cooking

In dietetics

Pepper is a priority for many nutritionists, as it has many beneficial properties and has a positive effect on the body during weight loss:

• removes waste and toxins from the body;
• suppresses appetite;
• stimulates metabolism and metabolic processes;
• restores intestinal microflora;
• fights apathy and depression.

Attention! The capsaicin contained in the vegetable can accelerate the process of fat breakdown and activate the sympathetic nervous system. All this makes the product indispensable in dietetics.

Medicinal recipes and tips for use

To strengthen the immune system and effectively resist many ailments, it is recommended to simply introduce hot seasoning into your diet. However, it should not be overused. Nutritionists consider it acceptable to consume five grams of pepper per day. And exceeding such a dose for an unprepared person can result in the development of unpleasant consequences.

For colds

Peculiarities. In order for the product to be more effective, it is used as soon as a person feels the first signs of a cold.

What you will need:

• capsicum - a piece the size of a fingernail;
• milk - one glass.

What to do

1. A piece of capsicum is poured into a glass of milk.
2. Place the mixture on the fire and bring the mixture to a boil.
3. The pepper is immediately removed from the milk.
4. The patient should drink warm milk and go to bed.

For pneumonia

Peculiarities. It is recommended to drink this medicine for pneumonia in the evening, at night. It will effectively relieve wet cough.

What you will need:

• ground red pepper - a pinch;
• saffron - a pinch;
• ginger (powder) - a pinch;
• milk - one glass.

What to do

• The milk is brought to a boil.
• Add pepper, saffron, ginger and immediately remove from heat.
• Close the container with a lid and wrap it in a towel for three to five minutes.

From parasites

Peculiarities. The tincture can cleanse the body of worms, lamblia, roundworms and many other parasites. The instructions for use recommend using the medicine ten drops per day for seven to ten days.

What you will need:

• red capsicum - 30 g;
• water - 400 ml;
• alcohol - 100 ml.

What to do

1. Capsicum peppers are crushed.
2. The gruel is poured with 100 ml of alcohol. Stir thoroughly.
3. Next, water is poured into the mixture.
4. The anti-parasite tincture is placed in the refrigerator for approximately two to three hours.
5. When the mixture is infused, it is well filtered.

For gynecological problems

Peculiarities. For amenorrhea and delayed menstruation (of course, if the possibility of pregnancy is excluded), a tincture of red pepper with vodka is suitable for women.

What you will need:

• hot pepper - 30 g;
• vodka - one glass.

What to do

1. Pepper is crushed.
2. Place in a suitable glass bottle or jar.
3. Fill with vodka and leave to infuse in a dark place for two weeks.
4. Strain.
5. Take ten drops diluted in water three times a day.

The use of red pepper is also recommended in gynecology. The product allows you to normalize the cycle, combat inflammatory pathologies and prevent the development of ovarian cancer. For effective treatment, women need to include hot spices in their diet. But during critical days, the use of hot seasoning is stopped.

For weight loss

Peculiarities. Many experts recommend the use of red pepper for weight loss. To get rid of extra pounds, you can prepare a fat-burning cocktail.

What you will need:

• ground hot pepper - a pinch;
• ginger - a pinch;
• cinnamon (powder) - a pinch;
• kefir - one glass.

What to do

1. Add a pinch of red pepper, ginger and cinnamon to a glass of kefir.
2. Beat the mixture thoroughly with a blender.
3. Drink a cocktail before bed.

Do not forget that only an integrated approach, including physical activity and proper nutrition, will allow you to achieve weight loss.

For neurosis and male ailments

For neuroses, it is recommended to consume a small piece of raw red pepper daily. It is not the pod itself that will bring particular benefit during psycho-emotional experiences and stress, but the internal partitions.

The hot spice is no less useful for men's health. The seasoning is recommended to be used to increase potency in men and as an effective antitumor agent. But you should not exceed the recommended daily intake and eat it constantly. It is recommended to “rest” from the hot spice from time to time.