Chili peppers are a real superfood
Hot chillies offer a lot of health benefits due to their rich content of nutrients and vitamins. For example, they contain almost three times more vitamin C than an orange. The body is not able to produce vitamin C itself, but it is essential for immune defense – needless to say that therefore the chili peppers have explicit healing and prevention properties.
They are also high in vitamin A, which helps to support healthy eyesight, skin and mucuous membranes as well as immune defense. Chillies are also a great source of vitamin B6, which is important for protein metabolism and can help prevent anemia. They also contain the vitamins B1, B2 and Niacin, which all support cell metabolism, vitamin E which protects the cells from free radicals and vitamin K which supports blood clotting.
Chilis also contain flavonoids, which have an antioxidant effect in the body. Therefore, spicing your meals with chili peppers may also protect the fats in your blood from damage by free radicals - a first step in the development of atherosclerosis.
Chillies are also an excellent source of potassium, which is important for muscles, the cardiovascular system and the nerves. Magnesium, phosphorus and calcium as well as the trace elements iron, zinc, manganese and selenium are also present.
Chillies and bell peppers have already been used as medicines by the South American indigenous.
They were used as a remedy for osteoarthritis, and even today the active substance capsaicin is still used in heat pads. The active ingredient capsaicin has many other health benefits, including its intense anti-microbial effect. More about the preventive and healing properties of capsaicin can be found here.
| per 100 g | hot chillies, fresh | chili powder | sweet peppers, fresh | daily need(DGE, Stand 2015)* |
| Water | 88 g | 8 g | 92 g | 2,5 Liter |
| Energy | 166 / 40 (kJ/kcal) | 1331 / 318 (kJ/kcal) | 129 / 31 (kJ/kcal) | 1800 - 2300 kcal |
| Protein | 1,87 g | 12 g | 0,99 g | 48 - 57 g |
| Fat | 0,44 g | 17,27 g | 0,30 g | 30 % |
| Carbohydrate | 8,81 g | 56,63 g | 6,03 g | 50 % |
| Fiber | 1,50 g | 27,20 g | 2,10 g | > 30 g |
| Sugars | 5,30 g | 10,34 g | 4,20 g | - |
| Minerals | ||||
| Calcium (Ca) | 14 mg | 148 mg | 7 mg | 1000 mg |
| Iron (Fe) | 1,03 mg | 7,8 mg | 0,43 mg | 12,5 mg |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 23 mg | 152 mg | 12 mg | 325 mg |
| Phosphorus (P) | 43 mg | 293 mg | 26 mg | 700 mg |
| Potassium (K) | 322 mg | 2104 mg | 211 mg | 2000 mg |
| Sodium (Na) | 9 mg | 30 mg | 4 mg | 550 mg |
| Zinc (Zn) | 0,26 mg | 2,48 mg | 0,25 mg | 8m,5 mg |
| Copper (Cu) | 0,129 mg | 0,373 mg | 0,017 mg | 1,25 mg |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0,187 mg | 2000 mg | 0,112 mg | 3,5 mg |
| Selenium (Se) | 0,5 µg | 8,8 µg | 0,1 µg | 65 µg |
| Vitamins | ||||
| Vitamin A | 48 µg | 2081 µg | 157 µg | 0,9 mg |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) | 0,072 mg | 0,328 mg | 0,054 mg | 1,1 mg |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0,086 mg | 0,919 mg | 0,085 mg | 1,25 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0,506 mg | 2,450 mg | 0,291 mg | 1,35 mg |
| Niacin | 1,244 mg | 8,701 mg | 0,979 mg | 13,5 mg |
| Vitamin C | 143,7 mg | 76,4 mg | 127,7 mg | 102 mg |
| Vitamin E | 0,69 mg | 29,83 mg | 1,58 mg | 13 mg |
| Vitamin K | 14,0 µg | 80,3 µg | 4,9 µg | 65 µg |
* The daily need depends on sex, age and physical activity. Here is given an average value for people between 25 and 50 years and is only approximate.
Sources:
USDA ( United States Department of Agriculture ) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
(https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list)
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung DGE (German Agency for Food)
(https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/)
Manufacturer
Name: | Chili-Food-Wissen |
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