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You’re Not Eating Enough Peppers. Here’s Why
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We all know that veggies are good for us, but many of us tend to get stuck in a predictable rut, eating the same ones over and over again. This isn’t necessarily unhealthy, but it does get boring, and it’s boredom that causes people to have trouble sticking with diets. We would like to humbly submit to you that there’s a cheap, delicious and versatile vegetable that you probably don’t even realize is a nutritional powerhouse.
We’re talking about peppers.
The truth about peppers
A lot of people do eat peppers, but many remain unaware that they’re eating something good for them, since they’re often served as an ingredient to unhealthy dishes like greasy fajitas or pizzas in chain restaurants.
Peppers come a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Some, like jalapeños, are exceptionally spicy, and make an ideal ingredient for chili and sauces. Others, like bell peppers, have a mild and pleasant taste, and can be used in many different kinds of recipes.
There are four different genera of peppers. The peppers of the genus capsicum are defined by their fiery taste, and include chili peppers, banana peppers and the jalapeño and bell peppers mentioned above. The capsaicin in the pepper is what determines how hot the pepper will taste. Jalapeños and cayenne peppers are on the hot end of the spectrum, while bell peppers are very tame by comparison. While all peppers offer some health benefits, we’ll be focusing primarily on these peppers in our discussion today.
1. Capsaicin has hidden benefits for the overweight
This spicy compound isn’t what typically come to mind when people think of weight loss, but it can actually help quite a bit. It turns out that the spicy properties of capsaicin can help raise your metabolism and prevent fat cells from accumulating, resulting in fewer pounds around your waistline.
This compound can also help with your levels of cholesterol, high levels of which are linked to an increased risk of heart attack or other forms of cardiovascular disease. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition produced findings which suggest that capsaicin could help prevent cholesterol from building up and hardening the arteries.
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