The benefits of green chillies are many and green chillies are absolutely delicious in all kinds of yummy dishes like green chilli chicken curry, and green chilli chutney.
Green chili plants are also easy to grow and tend to be very cheap to buy.
When you think about the benefits of green chillies, you may not necessarily realise that they are packed full of health benefits, as well as flavour. These little spicy powerhouses are not just yummy, they’re extremely healthy too.
In this article we will take a look at green chillies and their health benefits. No doubt by the end you’ll be looking up all kinds of green chili plant recipes so that you can reap the benefits of green chillies in your diet:
Green Chillies: An Introduction
When we talk about the benefits of green chillies we mean chili peppers often harvested whilst they are still green and tender. As they ripen they become yellow and red (some go brown, black and other shades). At their younger age when they remain green they tend to be much more juicy and tender, and less hot too.
The most common green chillies sold are the Pasilla, Poblao and New Mexico Chilli, jalapeño, Chilaca and Serrano chillies. Some varieties also mature as green and will never become red.
The Health Benefits Of Green Chillies
Green chillies have a wealth of health benefits that make them a really incredible fruit to include in your recipes and meals. Here are just some of the benefits of green chillies:
Green Chillies Have More Nutrients Than Red Chillies
As chillies dry out and turn red they lose some of their nutrients and benefits. Green chillies are thought to be more nutrient rich because they are fresher.
Green Chillies Contain Nearly Zero Calories
Green chillies contain more water than red chillies because they are earlier in their journey of ripening. They also contain nearly zero calories, with a small one gram chilli only registering at around one calorie and 100 grams of green chili only registering at around 15 calories. With such a lot of flavour and so little calories, they’re a great fruit to have in a health conscious kitchen.
Proven To Help With Heartburn
In a study with red peppers, people with heartburn found that although initial spicy food exposure caused more pain at first, over time heartburn and acid reflux symptoms improved. The study also showed chili needed to be consumed regularly afterwards otherwise the benefits quickly waned.
As the results related to capsaicin, the benefits of green chillies are still relevant, but because they are not as potent as green chillies, they might need to be consumed in higher amounts for this particular benefit.
A Boost For Weight Loss Efforts
Green chillies have shown to be helpful in weight loss, in part because they help boost fat burning in both sexes, something proven in multiple scientific studies including this one. There are also studies that show that it can reduce appetite and help you to consume fewer calories overall. The study results can vary, though, and more often than not suggest the benefits of green chillies occur alongside healthy lifestyle changes.
Green Chillies Help Keep You Regular
Green chillies are full of fibre which helps to cleanse your colon and keep you regular. Combined with the capsaicin this can sometimes be an irritating effect that causes such uncomfortable times on the toilet the day after a very hot curry.
Green Chillies Are Full Of Antioxidants
Chillies are full of capsaicin which is a natural antioxidant. Antioxidants are important because they protect the cells in your body against free radicals. Free radicals are generally accepted to be negative and associated with cancer, disease and other bodily harm.
A Scalp Boost For Healthier Hair
Green chillies contain silicon which helps to get your scalps blood vessels more active and stimulated. This helps to promote healthy hair growth and good scalp health.
Green Chillies Can Help In The Fight Against Prostate Cancer
Scientific studies have shown that capsaicin in chili has anti-cancer activities in all kinds of cancer cells, including prostate cancer. This means that it can contribute to causing cancer cell death, a bit like a tiny little soldier in your body working against the enemy.
Green Chillies Boost Cardiovascular System
According to studies, the capsaicin in green chillies can help to reduce hardening in the arteries as well as your blood pressure, which helps with heart health. The antioxidants in the green chili are also helpful in protecting your heart against disease and issues associated with free radicals.
Stimulation Of Lower Body Temperature
One of the most unusual benefits of green chillies is their ability to help you cool down.
Despite these tasty fruits being so widely associated with heating us up causing sweating and hope flushes, green chillies are known to actually be able to help cool you down at your core. This is because they stimulate the hypothalamus in the brain, which is the cooling centre, helping you feel cooler from the inside out. This is the reason lots of green chili is consumed in India, to help people cope with the intense heat.
Stimulation Of Blood Flow In Nose & Sinuses
One key green chili plant benefit is that their fruits boost blood flow which helps fluids in the nose and sinuses to flush out, which helps get rid of bacteria and toxins and helps to improve breathing quality overall.
Relieves Pain
Much like the original Scoville study where capsaicin heat was tested as a naturally warming muscle rub, chilies in prescribed creams can actually help reduce pain with inflamed joints and muscles. There are many other studies being performed on the benefits of green chillies and capsaicin at the moment because of their propensity to help with various other kinds of pain.
Big Vitamin Powerhouse
Green chillies are absolutely full of all kinds of vitamins and nutrients like vitamin C, Beta Carotene and fibre. There are more nutrients like this in green chillies because they haven’t dried up yet.
How Will You Include Green Chillies In Your Diet?
The benefits of green chillies are far reaching. Just one small green chili in your meal can make a huge difference to your health, alongside other healthy lifestyle efforts.
The question is, which yummy green chili dishes will you start to include in your family cooking repertoire?
If you are looking for inspiration we highly recommend green chili chutney, green chili chicken and green chili guacamole.
