Are There Health Benefits of Chili Peppers?

Anyone who adores spicy food knows that chili peppers are a kitchen staple, but are there actual health benefits of chili peppers? 

They add extra kick and pizazz to foods like soups, stews, roasted meats, and yes, even the tried-and-true favorite, homemade chili. You can use them fresh, chopped, crushed, or even in powder form; all methods provide that same zing.

Although most people love spicy food for the taste or the zest that they add, do chili peppers provide you with health benefits?

Health Benefits of Chili Peppers

But here’s something you might not have known about the fiery little fruiting bodies of the Capsicum annuum plant. It turns out they’re also really good for your health if you eat them often. We’ll tell you about a few of the biggest health benefits of chili peppers.

They’re Rich in Multiple Vitamins

Ripe chili peppers contain a long list of vitamins and minerals essential for nutritional health. Many of these are present in extremely high doses per capita (meaning that even though the pepper is small, the dose provided is still significant). Here are some of the most beneficial vitamins in chili peppers:

• Vitamin B6 plays a key role in energy production and helps promote the creation of red blood cells. Known in the medical world by its scientific name, pyridoxine, it is also directly correlated to your ability to absorb nutrition from food – meaning it might help you get more out of what you eat.
• Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and immune modulator. While it won’t cure the common cold like some people claim (that’s been debunked), there is evidence that eating foods that contain high doses can speed healing throughout the body.
• Vitamin A, or beta-carotene, is another powerful antioxidant. It boasts all of the same benefits as vitamin C. It’s unique because it also helps your own body produce more vitamin A “in house.”
• Vitamin K1 directly affects blood clotting, platelets, bone density, and the ability for your kidneys to filter out waste from your blood. Because it is possible to overdose on K1 when taking supplements, it’s far safer to get your intake through foods.
• Potassium helps the entire circulatory system work more effectively. In fact, it’s such an important element that it’s considered a key electrolyte for rehydration therapy in hospitals. There’s also some evidence that it might modulate blood pressure.
• Copper, contrary to popular belief, is not just for pipes. It helps neurons communicate within the body, including the ones found within your nerves and brain. This is why copper deficiency sometimes produces neuropathic pain.

Chili Peppers Contain Healthy Plant Compounds

Aside from the usual round of healthy whole food vitamins and minerals, there are health benefits of chili peppers because they also contain a number of healthy plant compounds. Each has something slightly different to offer or a unique benefit to the body.

• Capsanthin is the compound that gives chili peppers their bright, fiery color. It’s related to beta-carotene, and thus, is technically an antioxidant. There are also a few studies that show high doses of capsanthin to have anti-cancer properties.
• Capsaicin is the main ingredient in both chili peppers and topical “hot” rubs for pain (we’ll talk more about that in a moment). It is both an effective painkiller for some people and a powerful antioxidant with anti-cancer effects. Interestingly, capsaicin also seems to help people with cluster headaches when given nasally.
• Lutein is found mostly in green peppers, but it’s worth talking about anyhow. It’s a key ingredient in eye health. There’s also some evidence that taking lutein could help lessen, or even reverse, certain eye conditions after the fact.
• Ferulic and Sinapic Acid are both powerful antioxidants that help the body’s immune system function more effectively. They may also help to ward off certain cancers, illnesses, and even signs of aging.
• Violaxanthin is – you might have guessed it – another antioxidant. It’s technically a type of polyphenol, rather than a carotenoid; however, it shares many of the same positive benefits with vitamin A.

They Might Relieve Pain

As we mentioned further up in the article, there are some indicators that capsaicin, a plant compound found in chili peppers, may help to relieve pain. This often seems ironic at first given that eating too many of them can lead to a slight stomach ache or burning sensation in the mouth. But that sensation may actually explain the painkilling properties. Not only does it “distract” the nerves from more serious forms of pain, but it might also desensitize them slowly over time.

Studies have also shown that capsaicin actually binds to receptors within nerve endings. This is very different from over-the-counter painkillers, like Tylenol or ibuprofen, both of which block prostaglandin production. Thus, it may be the better option for people with localized nerve pain when used topically.

Even more ironic and exciting is the fact that capsaicin actually has the power to reduce chronic heartburn pain and even symptoms of acid reflux. This, unfortunately, does seem to be a little hit or miss – some people have the reverse effect. And even those that benefited reported an increase in pain at first  and for about the first two weeks, which might make it too much for some to tolerate.

Chilis Suppress Appetite

Other health benefits of chili peppers is that it helps to suppress appetite. When you think logically about chili peppers helping you lose weight, you might immediately think about the, well, very obvious bathroom trips some people get after eating spicy food. Or, you might think of the way chilis have a tendency to make some people sweat a lot. This is only part of the story.

Capsaicin itself does help to suppress appetite, but researchers aren’t yet sure exactly why. It may be that it lightly irritates the stomach, encouraging it to signal fullness to the brain. Or, it might be that slight irritation in the stomach, while usually safe, lowers the desire to eat and/or overeat.

Whatever the cause, one thing has held true on every study: it seems capsaicin is more effective when taken before a meal, rather than after.

They Might Boost Metabolism

Here’s where that sweating comes in…

Studies have shown that eating very spicy food of any kind (including fresh or ground chili peppers) can raise basal body temperature, encourage faster metabolism, and even encourage the adrenal glands to burn more calories directly. They also seem to encourage the body to burn carbohydrates for energy while storing less fat.

Conclusion

Are there health benefits of chili peppers? Absolutely, but don’t go thinking you can eat chili and maintain your figure – it isn’t that potent. Think of it like an adjunct to a healthy diet instead.Try your best to eat healthy and well all the time… even if you’re tossing a few of those fiery chilis into the pot.