CHILLI

Introduction

It was Columbus who discovered chillis on his exploration of the Americas. He thought the hot taste was similar to pepper and therefore named them peppers, but they are not really related to the pepper family at all. Their actual name is capsicum, which comes from the Greek for ‘I bite’.

Chillis have been used for numerous ailments on all continents for many years. In Peru they are thought to relieve conjunctivitis, in North America they are believed to prevent senility, and in Japan they are used to promote fertility.

What do they do?

Research conducted by Dr. Irwin Ziment of U.C.L.A. showed that chilli peppers are a powerful decongestant and particularly good at fighting diseases of the lung, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. He believes that the effects of chillis in the stomach are to trigger the release of a runny fluid from the lungs. This is why one’s eyes and nose water when eating chillis, and it is this ‘water’ that dilutes mucus in the lungs and bronchial passages, making it easier for the cells lining these areas to move mucus. When people smoke, often the cause of chronic bronchitis or emphysema, the mucus in the lungs and airways becomes thick and gooey and will not move out of the airways in and around the lungs. The fluid released by the lungs in large quantities when eating chilli dilutes the mucus, making it far easier to excrete. To benefit from chillis in this way is simple, even if food does not have any chillis in. Simply add 10-20 drops of Tabasco sauce to a glass of water and the effect is the same.

Although it sounds paradoxical, for all of the pain that chillis may cause to eat, they are actually good pain killers. Capsaicin, the element in chillis that gives the heat, can be bought in essence form or ointment and works when applied externally to reduce pain. This is done by rubbing into wounds or sores and the capsaicin actually reduces the nerve cells around the nerve endings which take pain messages to the brain, reducing the amount of pain the brain can feel. Research is being conducted at the moment into whether chillis can reduce the pain of arthritis.

In the short term when eating chillis the most noticeable effect is that they thin the blood. This makes them an excellent food for heart conditions and for preventing arterial blockage. Although this effect only lasts for around half an hour after eating, capsicum chilli peppers reduce levels of fibrinogen, the blood’s clotting agent, thereby reducing clotting in the blood stream. Scientists believe that if this happens often enough then serious conditions such as thromboembolism can be avoided. The Thais who eat capsicum chilli peppers on a daily basis have far lower rates of arterial blockage and related conditions than the Americans who do not eat nearly as much.

Green chillis contain a lot of Vitamin C and pro-vitamin A, but nowhere near as much as red chillis. Red, ripe chillis contain high levels of both these nutrients, making them an extremely powerful defence against disease. First of all, Vitamin C itself helps to boost the immune system and therefore helps to fend off infections and viruses. Put together, vitamin C and beta carotene (which the body converts into vitamin A) give chillis their powerful antioxidant effect. Antioxidants live in the body’s cells and act as guards against oxygen-free radicals, substances in the body that damage healthy cells leading to the formation of tumours. These antioxidants will, if they are in great enough number, react with oxygen-free radicals, neutralising them before they can damage cells. However, it is a random event and the fewer antioxidants there are in the cell, the more likely it is for an oxygen-free radical to avoid collision and carry on to do some damage. Oxygen-free radicals are really just the end result of something we have eaten or inhaled that is mutagenic, such as cigarette smoke, pesticides or air-borne pollutants.

Advice

If one is not keen on hot foods, tolerance may be built up by gradually increasing the intake of chilli in the food, but it is possible for almost anyone to develop immunity to the heat and actually start enjoying them. Yoghurt eaten with chilli reduces the burning sensation, or a drink of milk, as both have a cooling effect.

A normal and reasonably healthy body will never feel any direct adverse effects from eating chillis. However, sufferers from stomach ulcers should eat this food in moderation as it encourages the release of gastric acid in the stomach, which can cause ulcers and aggravate them.

Haemorrhoid sufferers should also limit their intake of chillis, as they can cause a condition known as jabproctitis, which is the sharp, burning of the anus after eating these peppers. Their consumption could seriously aggravate a haemorrhoid condition.