Whenever we are on the verge of eating something spicy, some of us may eat a chilli pepper with our meals or sprinkle a pinch of powdered chilly to our dish to make it hot and spicy. Although chilli peppers burns our tongues, make our eyes water and bring us out in a sweat, we still love to have it as it brings a tinge of flavor, even to an ordinary meal. Besides being considered as a spicy ingredient of a dish, a chilli pepper is also known for its medicinal properties and is widely used as a natural remedy for various health issues. Here we shall be discussing about the health benefits of eating chilli peppers.

• Vitamin A and Vitamin C content of chilli peppers is excellent to boost your immune system. Vitamin A is essential to keeping a healthy mucous membrane that lines the nasal passages and intestinal tract, while vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to soak up free radicals and make the body immune to fight infections like chest congestion and the common cold.
• Studies have shown that when chilli peppers are regularly consumed in the diet, the body requires less levels of insulin to break down the food. Hence to lower down the blood sugar levels in the body a lower amount of insulin is required. Therefore, chillies work great for those suffering with diabetes.
• The cardiovascular functioning of a person is improved when he/she consumes chilli peppers regularly in the diet. Chillies, especially the red chillies lower the levels of bad cholesterol and triglyceride and also reduce platelet aggregation. They also help in increasing the body’s ability to dissolve fibrin, which if not dissolved can form blood clots. Further, chillies also promote blood circulation and prevent strokes.
• The high levels of antioxidants found in chilli peppers can cause cancer cells growth to be inhibited. Therefore, a certain amount of chilli peppers is often recommended to people suffering from prostate and bowel cancers as chilli triggers the death of cancer cells.
• Many people relate stomach ulcers with chilli consumption. However this is not true. While chilli is not the cause of ulcers, it actually aids in the prevention of ulcers. It helps in killing the ulcer causing bacteria by stimulating the stomach cells to secrete protective fluids.
• For those suffering with osteoarthritis pain, chilli is often recommended as a natural pain killer. Studies have shown that consumption of chilli is associated with the famous feel-good chemical neurotransmitters in your brain called endorphins and when the chilli is even hotter, you can experience a bigger endorphin rush and your pain will be gone away within seconds.
• A chilli is helpful in fighting obesity, which is a common condition leading to various health issues. The thermogenic properties of a chilli pepper make you feel hot after eating it. This hotness generated consumes energy and hence the metabolism process is increased causing a speedy breakdown of fats causing a loss in unwanted weight.