Facts and Fiction

Remedies for when the pepper bites back. There are several remedies for the effects of eating a pepper that is too hot for you, something that is usually discovered when it is too late. (Eventually, you can build up tolerance to the heat of peppers and will be able to eat hotter and hotter chilis without having to resort to these cures.) Many people recommend drinking tomato juice or eating a fresh lemon or lime, the theory being that the acid counteracts the alkalinity of the capsaicin. Some people won't begin eating hot peppers without a pitcher of cold water handy, though this is not the best idea. The capsaicin, which is an oil, does not mix with the water but is instead distributed to more parts of the mouth. More useful solutions include drinking milk (rinsing the mouth with it as you sip) or eating rice or bread, which absorb the capsaicin. My own favorite retaliation against attack by hot chili pepper is to simply eat another. And if that doesn't work, eat another one...

How Hot is Hot?
In 1912, Wilbur Scoville developed a method to measure the heat level of a chile pepper called the Scoville Organoleptic Test. The test used a group of 5 people that tasted the different chilies and analyzed the heat. The pungency is measured in multiples of 100 units from the bell pepper at zero to the incendiary Habanero at over 300,000 scoville units!

The substance that makes a chile so hot is capsaicin.

A Chili Nation Is Born
Two of the founding fathers of our country, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, are both known to have grown chiles.

Peppers and Health
Are hot peppers bad for you? Proably not, according to recent studies. A common concern is that hot peppers or other spicy foods cause ulcers, but there's no evidence that they do. Studies of areas where hot peppers are used extensively in cooking, such as Brazil and Thailand, have found no higher incidence of stomach ulcers among their populations. And in a study conducted at a Veterans Administration hospital, researchers ground up about an ounce of jalapeno pepper and injected it directly into the stomachs of volunteers. Follow-up observation showed no damage to their stomach linings. Nor do hot peppers aggravate or cause hemorrhoids, as has often been claimed, since capsaicinoids are broken down before they reach the lower intenstine.

Actually, evidence has shown that peppers may have some beneficial properties. Capsaicin the predominant capsaicinoid has been found to work as an anticoagulant, thus possibly helping prevent heart attacks or strokes caused by blood clot. Small amounts of capsaicin can produce numbing of the skin and have a slight anti-inflammatory effect. In some countries, peppers are used in salves. Moreover, peppers are high in vitamin C, which, in turn, may be effective in protecting against cancer. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, a chemical substance capable of removing the threat from free radicals, which can cause cells to mutate.

By weight, green bell peppers have twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruit; red peppers have three times as much. Hot peppers contain even more vitamin C, 357 percent more than an orange. An red peppers are quite a good source of beta carotene. A pepper a day...

Chiliheads- and the A.M.A. There is a medical explanation why Chile People are so passionate about their Chili. Besides increasing your heartbeat and clearing the sinuses, Capsaicin causes your mouth to become irritated as evidenced by a burning sensation. This causes your brain to respond by creating endorphins. These are harmless natural pain killers that are part of your body's own self defense mechanism. This causes the lucky recipient to experience a feeling of euphoria giving new meaning to the nickname Chili Head.

Christopher Columbus discovered peppers in 1492.

Chile peppers have had many uses throughout the years. Indian tribes strung chilies together and tied them to their canoes and used them to ward off all evils that may lurk in the water. Today, "ristras" are commonly seen hanging in households. Ristras are a symbol of welcome and a superstitious way to ward off all evils! It is also reported that Chile peppers were once traded as common currency. Fresh chilies are high in Vitamin C twice the amount as citrus fruits. When the fresh peppers are dried they lose most of their Vitamin C content, however their Vitamin A content increases 100 times! The recommended daily allowance for these vitamins are 5000 international units for Vitamin C and 60 milligrams for Vitamin A. If you are a devoted chilehead this allowance can be met by eating a tsp. of pure chile powder for the Vitamin A and an ounce of fresh peppers for Vitamin C. I don't recommend an ounce of Habanero! Chile Peppers are as different from each other as are fine wines, each has its own distinctive taste and heat level. Capsicum chinense chilies (habanero, scotch bonnet's) have a unique citrus flavor and incendiary bite. After salt, the chile pepper has become the most frequently used seasoning and condiment in the world. Chilies are used extensively not only in Mexico but all over the United States, Caribbean, Far East, Africa, etc.

Eating spicy food is addicting. Here is what happens... after eating something hot, your body nerves feel pain. These pain signals are immediately transmitted to your brain. Your brain interprets this signal and automatically releases endorphins (the body's natural pain killer). The endorphins kick in and act as a pain killer and create this temporary felling of euphoria. Hot & spicy food lovers soon begin to crave this feeling and are hooked.

Do You Believe in Magic? Some early Spanish priests, aware of the passion the native people had for Chiles and unsure of the Chiles powers, assumed they were aphrodisiacs and warned against consumption which probably added to their popularity among the adventurous newcomers. Ten to one you'd find Brother Issac and bunch were growing their own peppers of power.

©2006 Pepperville