Spicing up your cuisines with green chili loads your diet with various health benefits.
Think of Indian cuisines, the first flavor that gets you salivating will definitely be the ‘sizzling-spicy part’. Where green chilies hold the crown among spices.
On top of making your foods taste more ‘Asian’, green chili brings a lot of goodness to your health.
Furthermore, green chili helps you lose weight, and prevent diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
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Nutritional Potency of Green Chili
Green chili is a no-calorie, no-cholesterol ingredient, that is too packed with dietary fibers. Belonging to the Capsicum family, the nutrient power is obvious from green chili vitamins that include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and minerals such as copper, potassium, and iron.
Let’s dive deeper into the benefits and side effects of green chili:
1. Boosts Metabolism & Promotes Weight Loss
One of the visible benefits of green chili for weight loss is that it’s a zero-calorie spice. Moreover, eating green chilies can boost your metabolism by more than 50%.
What happens is that green chili contains a potent ingredient ‘capsaicin’. Capsaicin increases body temperature, leading to a higher metabolic rate.
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2. Prevents Diabetes
High dietary fiber and capsaicin in green chili aid in maintaining blood glucose levels in diabetics. But, that requires you to consume a small 30g of green chilies every day. It boosts your metabolic rate, increasing the absorption of sugar in the blood.
3. Anti-Aging Properties
As per research, vitamin C present in green chili increases collagen production, delaying the signs of aging. Collagen also helps your skin appear youthful, supple, and glowing.
The added green chili benefits for the skin is that it contains vitamin E, vital to delay the signs of aging.
There’s still more to it: green chili has antibacterial properties which help prevent acne and fade away blemishes.
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4. Natural Iron Source
Green chili is a good source of iron for anemics. The vitamin C found in green chili increases the absorption of iron.
Research shows that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) helps capture non-heme iron and store it in such a form that iron is more bioavailable to the body.
5. Cold Relief
This may sound outlandish but the capsaicin in green chilies helps in cold relief. It activates mucus membranes in your nose, easing the blockage of the respiratory tract. That’s a fast relief from both cold and sinus infections.
6. Heart-Healthy
Green chili’s benefits for the heart include reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. Capsaicin acts by lowering blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Green chili also increases fibrinolytic activity, responsible for preventing blood clots-the major reason for heart attack or stroke.
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7. Boosts Immunity
Living in the post-COVID world with vulnerability to epidemics, having strong immunity is imperative. Green chili vitamin C and beta-carotenes help in strengthening the immune system and improving eye and skin health.
8. Anti-Ulcer Effect
Green chili improves bowel movement, it’s an anti-ulcer aid. But people with active peptic ulcers can feel discomfort upon eating green chilies.
9. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The anti-inflammatory properties of green chili provide effective pain relief. Thus, green chili can lower your pain forbearance level, particularly for elders suffering from osteoporosis or arthritis.
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10. Reduces Oxidative Stress
Capsaicin, the antioxidant in green chili, combats free oxygen radicals. Thus, reducing oxidative stress and preventing healthy cell damage.
Storage Tip: Keep green chilies stored in a dark/cool place, preferably wrapped in paper. Due to exposure to heat, light, or air, green chilies can lose the potency of vitamin C in them.
How Many Green Chilies to Eat in a day?
You can eat 12-15g of green chilies per day. But do not eat raw green chilies. You must consume them added in pickles, salads, dips, etc. to keep your stomach protected. As excess chili can cause acidity or other gut problems.
What Is the Side Effect of Green Chili?
Few Green chili side effects must be kept in mind when consuming in excess:
1. Causes burning sensation and may lead to acidity.
2. Daily consumption can lead to numbness of pain receptors
3. May cause an inflammatory response in the body
4. People with sensitive stomachs can experience abdominal pain or diarrhea.
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Final Verdict
Green chilies are super-beneficial for elders at a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, signs of aging, and stomach ulcers. But moderation is the key.
