10 Health Benefits Of Green Chilli

7. Keeps Your Heart Healthy

Capsaicin to the rescue, yet again! The capsaicin in green chillis benefits your heart in two ways. Firstly, it lowers the level of bad cholesterol in your blood and clears the cholesterol buildup in your arteries. It also improves blood circulation by hindering the activity of a certain gene, which contracts the arteries and obstructs blood flow to other organs. By expanding the arteries, capsaicin improves blood flow and keeps your heart in a good condition.

8. Prevents Cancer

The capsaicin in green chillies is believed to prevent and delay the progression of cancer, especially of the prostate. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C also contribute to the anti-cancer mechanism of green chillies. Studies observe that ascorbic acid (or vitamin C) can reduce the effect of carcinogens in your body and suggest that it might be able to stop cancer on its path.

9. Keeps Your Skin And Hair Healthy

By eating including green chillies in your diet, you can keep your skin looking young, healthy, and wrinkle-free. The vitamin C present in the spice reduces oxidative damage caused to your cells and reduces signs of premature aging. Additionally, green chilli displays anti-inflammatory characteristics, which prevent the formation of acne and promote clear skin.

10. Boosts Sex Drive

Green chillies turn up the heat not only within your body but also in the bedroom. Believed to be a natural aphrodisiac, they can make you want to get down and dirty with your partner. The capsaicin in green chillies make you warm, increase your heart rate, stimulate nerve endings, and enhance blood flow. And since these responses resemble the physical responses encountered during sex, green chillies could have a role to play in boosting your sex drive.

Side Effects of Eating Green Chillies

Although green chillies are good for your health, make sure you don’t have too many. Don’t eat over 5 green chillies a day. Make sure the chilly intake is spread over the course of the day, and don’t eat too many green chillies in a single meal. Here are some pitfalls of eating green chillies.

Stomach irritation: If you eat more green chillies than your stomach (or mouth) can handle, it can irritate the lining of your stomach. The excretion of green chillies can also be painful. If you cannot tolerate the spice, having a glass of cold milk will help soothe the digestive tract.

Skin irritation: Ensure you don’t touch your eyes, nose, mouth or other sensitive parts of your body after handling green chillies. Wash your hands thoroughly after eating any dish that contains green chillies.

Toxicity: High concentration of capsaicin can be toxic to your body, so avoid eating more than what your body can take.

Not all green chillies carry the same amount of heat, so make sure you consume green chillies in moderation. If you haven’t used green chillies before, stick to half a pod or lesser. Green chillies are available fresh, dried, ground, canned or pickled. So, take your pick and give your favorite dish some zing by tossing in some finely chopped green chillies.