Chili Peppers

Chili Peppers

Chili Peppers

What is it:

Chili peppers, often simply called “chilies,” are fruits of the Capsicum genus, which have a fiery flavor. They come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and levels of spiciness, due to their being many different species of chili within the Capsicum family. Depending on the desired dish, chilies can be diced, sliced, minced, or pureed to add heat and depth of flavor to many different cuisines, from soups and stews to sauces and marinades.

Rating:

Chili peppers are rich in antioxidants and a compound called capsaicin, which is associated with a variety of therapeutic health benefits. Chili peppers also have demonstrated an anti-obesity effect and may reduce the risk of various types of mortalities. However, some research has associated associations between consumption of spicy food and chili peppers with various negative health outcomes including various kinds of cancer, such as gastrointestinal cancer. While more research is needed, it appears that the way chili is consumed in different populations of the world may affect these outcomes, and so consuming chili peppers moderately may prevent negative health effects as excessive intake can cause irritation in the digestive tract. Choosing organic options can help reduce pesticide exposure.

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How we rate ingredients

Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:

Clean

It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.

Caution

It goes into one or more of the below categories

We Avoid

It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)

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