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Chili Species

To many, a chili pepper simply describes a small member of the Capsicum family that is ‘hot’ to the taste. To the more adventurous lovers of the fiery pod, there are many different varients known by common names such as Jalapeno, Habanero and Scotch Bonnet with varying degrees of heat as determined...

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A Chili a Day keeps the Doctor Away

Posted by Jon | Posted in chili facts | Posted on 24-05-2010

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Chili not only tastes incredible in all manner of recipes, but it has a wide range of other benefits too – both psychological and medical.

For those with a stressful lifestyle or in need of relaxing, eating food containing chili can have a massive effect on the way you feel. Ingesting chili causes the body to release endorphines, which are basically brain chemicals which transmit electrical signals to the nervous system.These endorphins react with opiate receptors in the brain to reduce our perception of pain.

In addition to decreased feelings of pain, secretion of endorphins leads to feelings of euphoria, modulation of appetite, release of sex hormones, and enhancement of the immune response. With high endorphin levels, we feel less pain and fewer negative effects of stress. Endorphins have been suggested as modulators of the so-called “runner’s high” that athletes achieve with prolonged exercise.

As fresh chili also contains very high levels of vitamins A & C, it is also very good for us. In fact, a sweet red chili pepper actually contains more vitamin C than an orange.

In both fresh and powdered form, there is even evidence that points to the active ingredients in chili being responsible for a healthy immune system. A study in Manchester, England found that over a prolonged period, those who regularly consumed some form of chili at least twice a week were less likely to suffer from colds and flu than those that did not.

So, next time you are laid low, feeling stressed or simply in need of revitalization; forget the medicine cabinet – get some chili in your diet instead.

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