Top 18 Health Benefits of Chilli (Botanical Name: Capsicum Annum)

Best uses of chilli peppers

Chilli is considered as one of the best spices used in the Kitchen. Chillies are used in cooking, pickles and chutney. Red chillies are used as dried as well as powder both in vegetarian and non-vegetarian cooking. Due to its universal use,  it is known as “the Queen of Spices”.

1. Appetizer: The paste of chillies, salt and turmeric are used to make as like as pickles. If one takes a small amount of it, acts like as appetizer.
2. Diarrhoea: A person suffering from diarrhoea, tablets made with the combinations of chillies, camphor, cumin seeds and asafoetida may be given in the dose of 125 gram to cure of these diseases.
3. Pain and Sprain: The application of a mix of red chillies medicated with castor oil is useful in easing from pain and sprain.
4. Numbness:  Feeling lack of sensation in legs, mustard oil medicated with red chillies may be applied to cure numbness.
5. Heart Attack: The University of Cincinnati has researched that chilli due to the presence of capsaicin lower blood pressure and reduces the level of cholesterol. It also prevents arteriolosclerosis.
6. Diabetes: A new Canadian research has shown that eating chilli pepper prevents diabetes due to capsaicin component.
7. Capsaicin: The alkaloid compound, capsaicin acts like as anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic.
8. Vitamin C: Fresh red and green chilli are rich in vitamin C, which helps in protecting from scurvy, develop the immune system and works against free radicals.
9. Antioxidants: Chilli pepper is abundant with antioxidants such as vitamin A, flavonoids, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin.  All these antioxidants help to fight against free radicals thereby save the body from many diseases. Vitamin A is good for healthy mucous membrane.
10. Minerals: Chille is having varied minerals-potassium, manganese, iron, magnesium, etc. Potassium is good for heart rate and blood pressure.
11. Vitamins: Chilli is loaded with vitamins like niacin, pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamine.
12. Medicinal Uses: Due to presence of Capsaicin compounds, chilli pepper is used in the preparation of ointment; also used in formulation to be used in arthritic pain and sore muscles.
13. Sound Sleep: Eating a chilli per day is helpful to stay sleep longer.
14. Fight Inflammation: In a recent study, it has been shown that a diet containing hot chillies reduce the risk of cancer. As per many clinical studies, it has been shown that natural capsaicin slows down the growth of leukaemia cells and helps to prevent prostate cancer.
15. Fight Migraine: Researches have proved that chilli can combat headache, migraine and sinusitis owing to capsaicin control neuropeptide substance P that is the harbinger of migraine.
16. Sinus Prevention: Heat due to capsaicin helps to clear mucous from the nasal passage and also fights sinuses.
17. Lose Weight: Capsaicin is thermogenic in nature, which helps to activate metabolism adipose layer of the body thereby helps to melt fat to a certain extent.
18. Side effects: Chilli has side effects. Chillies shouldn’t be used by a person who has the problems of acidity, hyper-acidity, ulcer and stomach burning.