La Via Chili & Anaheim Peppers
Anaheim chilies are a large, mild and sweet pepper, that is at the core of any green chili recipe. Chile peppers are relatives of tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, all belonging to the nightshade family. Every pepper, regardless of the type or color, is considered a super food and is incredible for you and your health. Let’s take a look at what makes the Anaheim chili pepper so great.
Anaheim Peppers Make You Happy
When you eat a pepper and get that burning sensation, your brain responds by releasing endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s natural way of relieving pain by blocking the nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals. At the same time, your body also releases dopamine, which is responsible for a sense of reward and pleasure. In essence, eating spicy food can trigger a sense of euphoria and happiness.
Great for Weight Control and Weight Loss
Peppers are made up mostly of water, which means they’re very low in calories. Not only that they have a natural superpower, spicy chili peppers automatically speed up your metabolism (without exercising) to help you sweat away those unwanted calories.
Vitamin Packed:
Anaheim green chili peppers are particularly rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. One averaged sized green chili pepper has more Vitamin C than 3 fresh oranges, and a single dried teaspoon of chili pepper powder fulfills the daily requirements of Vitamin A. Anaheim peppers are also good sources of vitamin K and vitamin B6. You get 16 percent of your vitamin B6 and 10 percent of your vitamin K from an average sized pepper.
Along with being necessary for most of your organs to function properly, vitamin A is also necessary for vision and is one of the components of the pigment in your retina. Vitamin B6 is crucial for the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis. Collagen is needed for bone, skin and tendon health along with the health of other tissues.
Medicinal & Health Benefits:
These peppers are truly amazing, and the Indian of the American Tropics knew it. They used chilis for medicinal purposes for centuries. Today, teas and lozenges are made with chile peppers to help you get rid of that unwelcome soar throat! And the same chemical that helps you burn more calories, Capsaicinoids, are also used in patches to help your sore and aching muscles.
Minerals
Anaheim chilies contain significant levels of a variety of minerals. From 75 grams you get 7 percent of your iron and 5 percent of your potassium.
Iron’s most important role is in the production of hemoglobin, which is what the body uses to transport oxygen to the tissues. Potassium is important for regulating the body’s waste and for normalizing heart rhythms.
Dietary fiber
Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate with an important characteristic—it is not easily digestible in the small intestine. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber can be digested in the large intestine while insoluble fiber passes through the digestive tract without being broken down at all. Soluble fiber hinders the body’s absorption of cholesterol and carbohydrates. A 75-gram serving of Anaheim pepper provides 1.1 grams of fiber.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the phytochemical responsible for the Anaheim pepper’s heat as well as the heat of all chili peppers. While Anaheim peppers have a reputation for being very mild, they do contain some capsaicin. These peppers are rated between 500 and 2,500 on the Scoville scale, which is a measure of heat and thus also a measure of capsaicin concentration. Studies have shown diets rich in capsaicin can reduce blood pressure. Capsaicin also improves the post-meal release of insulin and stabilizes low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
The Superfood that tastes great and is good for you!
the nutrients in Anaheim peppers make it beneficial for treating health conditions that include:<
Heart disease:
Anaheim peppers have a number of compounds that can help to reduce your risk of heart disease. Those compounds include their dietary fiber content and vitamins A and C, which are both antioxidants. Antioxidants help to fight free radicals that oxidize LDL and cause atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the main factor in heart disease.
Diabetes:
Both capsaicin and dietary fiber are considered beneficial for controlling blood sugar. Studies have shown that capsaicin decreases blood sugar, thus helping to prevent the insulin resistance that typically precedes diabetes.
Cancer:
There is a significant amount of evidence that the capsaicin in Anaheim peppers is an effective tool for fighting different cancers. It is believed to trigger apoptosis, which is the cancer cells’ self-destruct mechanism.