Reasons to eat chili

According to doctors, hot peppers are a spice that increases appetite, helps digest food quickly, and eliminates fishy odors. Chili peppers are rich in vitamins and minerals that help prevent and treat diseases, improve health, rejuvenate the skin, relieve pain, lose weight, and have powerful antioxidant properties that help prevent cancer...

The amount of vitamin C in chili peppers ranks first among fresh vegetables. 100 grams of fresh chili peppers contain 143.7 mg of vitamin C, 2-3 times more than oranges. This substance is necessary for the synthesis of collagen in the body, maintaining the integrity of blood cells, skin, internal organs and bones.

Using foods rich in vitamin C helps increase resistance, purify harmful factors, increase iron absorption, control heart disease, arteriosclerosis and reduce cholesterol, prevent cataracts. This vitamin belongs to the water-soluble group, the body cannot produce or store it, so it needs to be supplied daily.

Chili peppers contain many minerals such as potassium, manganese, iron, copper... Potassium is an important component of cells and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used as a cofactor for antioxidant enzymes. Copper is an essential antioxidant that helps keep bones and nerve cells healthy. Chili peppers do not contain cholesterol.

Chili peppers have many nutrients that are good for health. Photo:Unsplash.

Chili peppers are also widely used in medicine. The chemical compound capsaicin in chili peppers is used in ointments, powders and tinctures because of its astringent, anti-irritant and analgesic properties. These formulations have been used in the treatment of arthritis, neuralgia, muscle pain, etc.

In Oriental medicine, when hair loss occurs, take chopped chili peppers, soak them in white wine for about 10-20 days, and apply to the hair loss area several times a day. When joint pain, tripping, or injury occurs, use a sufficient amount of chili powder, in winter use wine, in summer use vinegar mixed in, and apply to the painful area; or crush 10 red chili peppers and a radish and apply to the painful area.

People with smelly armpits should use chopped chili peppers soaked in iodine alcohol, apply to armpits 1-2 times a day. To treat back pain and joint pain, use 15 ripe chili peppers, 3 papaya leaves, 80g of Chinese angelica root, crush and soak in alcohol at a ratio of 1/2, use that alcohol to rub on the painful area.

Note when eating chili

The active ingredient capsaicin in chili peppers is responsible for their strong pungent taste, which when eaten causes a burning sensation and a burning sensation in the mouth, tongue, and throat. Eating cold yogurt can reduce the burning sensation by diluting the concentration of capsaicin and preventing it from coming into contact with the stomach lining.

Avoid touching your eyes with fingers contaminated with chili. If you accidentally do, dip your eyes in cold water to reduce the pain.

Doctor Than recommends that although chili has many beneficial effects, it should only be eaten in moderation to avoid causing harm. Chili can aggravate gastroesophageal reflux disease. People with peptic ulcers, hemorrhoids, high blood pressure, sore throat, esophagitis, body heat... should eat little or no chili.

Chemical compounds such as aflatoxin in spoiled chili peppers can cause stomach, liver and colon cancer.