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Jalapeño Pepper
Jalapeño Pepper
Jalapeño Pepper
What is it:
Jalapeño peppers are medium-sized chili peppers with a mild to moderate heat level, typically measuring between 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Native to Mexico, they are commonly green when harvested but can also ripen to red. Jalapeños are often enjoyed fresh, roasted, pickled, or smoked (known as chipotle peppers). Jalapeños are commonly dried, which intensifies their heat and flavor. They are commonly used in salsas, sauces, and as toppings for a variety of dishes.
Rating:
Jalapeños 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. Jalapeños have demonstrated antibacterial activity against food borne pathogens. 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.
Resources:
- Potential positive and negative health outcomes of consuming spicy food and chili peppers (umbrella review)
- The antioxidant and anti-obesity effects of chili peppers (review)
- Chili pepper consumption associated with reduced risk of mortality (meta-analysis)
- Health benefits of capsaicin (review)
- Antibacterial activity of jalapeños against food borne pathogens
- Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of prepared jalapeños
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
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
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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