If you've ever been to New Mexico, you've likely been offered chili. After all, the state's question is "Red or green?"--referring to the type of chili peppers you prefer. This flavorful vegetable is as ubiquitous as ketchup in New Mexico, showing up on burgers, breakfast food, pasta, and more. But are there actually health benefits to this New Mexican staple condiment?
Green chili is filled with vitamins A, C, and K. It's a green vegetable, offering every health benefit a green vegetable ought to offer. And while this is all well and good, the miracle ingredient that green chili contains, the one that offers you the greatest health benefits, is its spice-inducing chemical, capsaicin.
Green chili is filled with vitamins A, C, and K. It's a green vegetable, offering every health benefit a green vegetable ought to offer. And while this is all well and good, the miracle ingredient that green chili contains, the one that offers you the greatest health benefits, is its spice-inducing chemical, capsaicin.
The Miracle Component
Capsaicin is best known in the medical field for its analgesic effects. When it is purified from peppers, it can be used as a topical ointment to treat ailments such as arthritis pain. But the power of this chemical is no less impressive when taken orally; that is, when you eat green chili. The capsaicin content in whole peppers ranges from 0.1 to 1%.1
Capsaicin's Capabilities
To glean an understanding of capsaicin's capabilities, consider a headache. Most people have experienced the pain associated with such an ailment and, when possible, elect to alleviate the symptoms through medication. Other ailments, such as arthritis or constant back pain, are experienced by fewer people but those who do experience them can attest to strongly wanting relief.
Capsaicin has an effect on the nervous system relating to pain. It can interfere with the neurotransmitter, Substance P, that communicates the pain signal to your brain. A natural and powerful pain reliver, capsaicin is used for the treatment of post-mastectomy pain syndrome as well as diabetic neuropathy, to name a few. (1)
1. NIH Pubchem, Capsaicin, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Capsaicin#section=Top, accessed February, 19, 2018.
1. NIH Pubchem, Capsaicin, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Capsaicin#section=Top, accessed February, 19, 2018.
Too Much of a Good Thing
However, high intakes of capsaicin are associated with necrosis, ulceration, and carcinogenesis. This makes it clear that there can be too much of a good thing, and a balance should be considered when using capsaicin medically.
Green Chili Cuisine
Adding green chili to your cuisine is an excellent idea overall, one with definite health benefits and pain-relieving effects. Consider including green chili in your salsa, on enchiladas, or in a breakfast burrito (like a true New Mexican). There are many recipes and suggestions online for green chili cuisine.
You can purchase canned or frozen green chili (pre-chopped) from most large grocery stores. Hatch, New Mexico, is the world's largest producer of green chili, specializing in their own specific variety called Hatch Chile.
Whether you are simply looking for more spice or you are aiming for a natural analgesic, green chili is a top choice. In moderation, green chili is a miracle food.
You can purchase canned or frozen green chili (pre-chopped) from most large grocery stores. Hatch, New Mexico, is the world's largest producer of green chili, specializing in their own specific variety called Hatch Chile.
Whether you are simply looking for more spice or you are aiming for a natural analgesic, green chili is a top choice. In moderation, green chili is a miracle food.
