The burning sensation caused by red hot chili peppers is produced by a pungent, active ingredient called capsaicin, associated with healing abilities such as the reduction of cholesterol levels. All hot peppers, including the jalapeno pepper and the Mexican habanero pepper, have capsaicin. Although sweet bell peppers do not have this component, their capsanthin is thought to control cholesterol levels in the blood.
Habanero Peppers
The potency of all hot varieties of chili peppers is determined by the intensity of their heat, which is thought to be related to their effectiveness in healing. Mexican habaneros are the hottest of the chilies, surpassing Serrano peppers and African bird peppers.
According to Dr. Earl Mindell, professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in Los Angeles, the chemical responsible for this heat, capsaicin, has been shown in clinical experiments performed on animals to lower LDL, the bad cholesterol, levels in the blood. These results were replicated by K. Aizawa and T. Inakuma in 2009 as reported in the "British Journal of Nutrition."
Hot chili peppers are thought to clean the bloodstream by burning unwanted fat, in addition to helping the body process fat and excrete it in a normal bowel movement. Because they contain the highest amounts of capsaicin, Mexican habaneros, African bird peppers and Serrano peppers are thought to be most effective in lowering cholesterol levels.
Cayenne and Jalapeno Peppers
Cayenne and jalapeno peppers also contain high levels of the cholesterol-reducing capsaicin. They possess the flavonoid quercetin, known to lower the bad cholesterol LDL and raise HDL, or good cholesterol, levels. These peppers also possess the quality of reducing triglycerides, notes the website New Hope 360, adding that both jalapeno and cayenne peppers also may curb your appetite for fatty foods. Because the ingestion of capsaicin increases your metabolic rate, these peppers help your body burn fat and calories.
Sweet Bell Peppers
Although sweet bell peppers, whether red, green, orange or yellow, do not contain capsaicin, researchers at Louisiana State University and the Catholic University of Daegu in Korea found these peppers, regardless of their color, significantly reduced the oxidation of cholesterol during heating and cooking. Green bell peppers provide cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber and bell peppers in general contain antioxidant vitamins A and C, which counteract free radicals that oxidize cholesterol. In 2006, Kochi Aizawa, of the Kagome Research Institute in Japan, in a study of rats, found that capsanthin in red bell peppers raises HDL, or good cholesterol, levels in the blood.
References
- Lower Blood Pressure: Red Hot Chilli Peppers -- and Their Amazing Heart Health Giving Properties
- New Hope: Spicing Up Health With Capsaicin
- Homeopathy Haven: Cayenne Pepper Lowers Cholesterol
- PubMed.gov: "Dietary Capsanthin, the Main Carotenoid in Paprika"
- Dietary Fiber Food: Sweet Bell Peppers Reduce Harmful Oxidation Products of Cholesterol and DHA During Cooking
