Capsicum Information

Capsicum is the botanical genus name of approximately 27 species of pepper, which include about 22 wild types and five cultivated varieties. Although many people consider them vegetables, peppers in the Capsicum family are actually a berry form of fruit. The peppers are commonly known as chile with an "e," which is the Spanish spelling, or chili with a final "i," which is the English variation.

History

Residents of the Americas have eaten chili peppers since roughly 7500 B.C., and Native Americans began growing them possibly as early as 5200 B.C., according to Purdue University. The fruit is consequently one of the oldest crops cultivated in the Western Hemisphere. People in Europe, Africa and Asia learned of chili peppers through Christopher Columbus. He encountered a Capsicum plant during his first voyage to the New World around 1492 and called the unfamiliar item red pepper, in honor of its red pods and pungency, which reminded him of well-known black pepper.

Types

The five domesticated varieties of Capsicum peppers are Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum frutescens and Capsicum pubescens. Capsicum annuum, the best-known type, includes paprika, Cayenne pepper, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and green and red peppers. Capsicum chinense includes the notoriously hot habanero pepper, and Capsicum frutescens includes tabasco pepper, the defining ingredient in the popular spicy condiment tabasco sauce. The more obscure Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum pubescens include Peruvian peppers and apple chile, respectively.

Geography

Capsicum peppers grow natively in Central America, North America and South America, although residents of many warmer areas, such as Africa and India, for example, cultivate them, too. The Capsicum annum variety is native to southern regions of the United States, including Florida and Texas, and both it and Capsicum pubescens are native to Mexico, as well. Capsicum peppers are more prevalent natively in South America, where the five varieties are common in locations that include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

Capsaicin

The most widely researched active ingredient in Capsicum peppers is the compound capsaicin, according to the American Cancer Society, which many proponents claim can help temporarily reduce pain associated with surgery and such conditions as arthritis and muscle aches. Capsaicin is typically taken orally in capsule, tea or tonic form, or applied as a topical product in cream, gel, lotion, ointment or stick form. The topical version, which requires no prescription, received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration in the 1980s. Evidence suggests capsaicin relieves pain effectively, although the American Cancer Society recommends additional investigation.

Considerations

The realization that capsaicin may help decrease pain has led researchers to study its effectiveness treating cancer and other medical conditions, reports the American Cancer Society. Some Indians native to Mexico and Chinese have used herbal forms of Capsicum peppers historically to treat health problems, and herbal varieties of Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens are available in alternative medicine. Recommended but unsubstantiated medicinal uses include preventing or relieving colds, diarrhea, digestive problems, headaches, menstrual cramps, motion sickness and upset stomach.