Sweet and hot peppers are native to Central and South
America. Dating back to the time of the Aztec Empire, pepper seeds have been
found in Mexican settlements as far back as 7,000 B.C. Peppers are also among
the many New World discoveries credited to Christopher Columbus.
The larger bell-shaped peppers, mild tasting peppers eaten
as vegetables, are members of the Capsicum Annuum Grossum Group. Green when
immature, different cultivars ripen to yellow, orange, red or black. Bell
peppers ripen only on the vine and peppers grow sweeter as they ripen which is
why red peppers are sweeter than yellow peppers, and yellow peppers are sweeter
than green peppers.
The smaller Chili peppers, often used for flavoring, are
classed in the C.a. Longum group. Chili peppers are best known for their fiery
taste which is caused by alkaloid capsaicin. The heat scale of peppers is
measured by Scoville units which can range from 600 units for mild chilies to
the mouth burning amount of 200,000 – 350,000 units for habanero peppers.
The capsaicin in peppers provide medicinal value and is
known to increase the blood flow and is often used in muscle liniments.
Capsaicin also
- Helps the body metabolize alcohol;
- Acts as an expectorant;
- Prevents and alleviates bronchitis and emphysema;
- And, stimulates endorphins, killing pain and inducing a sense of well-being.
Peppers have considerable nutritional value as well. In addition
to being low in calories, peppers are a better source of Vitamin C than citrus
fruits. Deeply colored peppers also contain ingredients that can aid in the
prevention of cancer:
- Bioflavonoids (plant pigments) that can help prevent cancer;
- Phenolic acids, which inhibit formation of cancer causing nitrosamines;
- Plant sterols, precursors of Vitamin D that are believed to prevent against cancer.
Most importantly, steaming or stir-frying peppers do not
significantly lower their nutritional value. So add peppers to your weekly diet
as hot as you are comfortable eating.
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