• main ingredient in chili, is called capsaicin.
• help burning out fatty cells.
• as it works, it goes deep into the fatness and improves circulations by increasing metabolism during the process of burning.
• toxins and wastes are eliminated at the same time thus improving the firmness and smoothness of the skin.
• low in fat, calories low in sodium; and has zero cholesterol.

Chili as a painkiller

• Contains pain-alleviating compounds called salicylates (found in natural aspirin) which act only on pain receptors, and not on normal cells.
• relieve pains due to shingles as well as other skin ailments.
• helps to relieve cluster headaches, migraine and sinus the pain.
• used for muscle or joint pain like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, backache, strains, sprains, and frostbite.
• capsaicin stimulates blood flow to the affected area, reduces inflammation and associated discomfort.

A Health Food In Lowering Blood Cholesterol

• Dilates the blood vessels, cleanse the mucus lining and lower the blood cholesterol.
• intake of capsaicin, the LDL or the bad cholesterol actually resisted oxidation for a longer period.
• helps relieve the heart of a heavy work task, thereby creating a stronger and healthier heart.
• reduces the risks of heart attacks and strokes.

A Natural Antibiotic

• Due to its acidic nature, pungent, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, chili is also known to exhibit immunization abilities.
• Researches have shown that chili kills more than 75 % of the thirty harmful bacteria present in food under studies.
• helps to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel symptoms.
• Recent researches have proven that red chilies does not cause stomach ulcers, as has been erroneously believed by many.
• On the contrary, intake of chilies can actually prevent or heal them!
• Research shows that countries with high consumption of chilies have three times less reports of stomach ulcers.

How does capsaicin work against cancer ?

• Chili, pepper or capsicum also contains minerals like folate, molybdenum, manganese, potassium, thiamin, and copper.
• low in sodium which causes the thickening of blood.
• Capsaicin is a fantastic health stimulant.
• Capsaicin is a potent anticancer agent, induces apoptosis or programmed cell death in cancer cells and produces no significant damage to normal pancreatic cells, indicating its potential use as a novel chemotherapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer.
• Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture.
• also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumors formed by those human cell lines grown in mouse models.

How does chili help in the prevention and slowing down of cancer cell formation?

• A very rich source of antioxidants.
• richly endowed with vitamins A, E and C necessary for general health.
• contains seven times more vitamin C than orange.
• good source of most B vitamins and vitamin B6 in particular.
• antioxidants like C and E protect the body against these destructive effects of free radicals which attack normal cells in the body in order to obtain these electrons as they're 'hungry for electrons'.
• The deprived cells, now being ripped of their own electrons, in turn attack other normal cells. This may ultimately lead to a chain reaction, resulting in the cascading formation of abnormally reactive cells, or cancerous cells.

References: http://www.chiliwonders.com/

Okay, i think now i'm rather convinced to include chilli to my meals.

Stay tuned for the next "Food Health Facts 101"!

Labels: chilli, Food Health Facts