A single bite of a chilli is sufficient enough to give you a burning sensation starting from the taste bud and down your gullet all the way to your tummy - something that almost everyone craves either occasionally or even regularly!
Besides that spiciness and intense bitterness that adds taste to all kinds of cuisines, studies claim that addition of green chillies in food comes with a lot of health benefits.
Green chillies are chilli peppers – most often Pasilla, Anaheim or Poblano peppers that are harvested before ripening. Not as spicy as red chilli peppers, fresh green chilli is a rich source of vital vitamins like A. It is good for improving vision and helps to keep the eye pain away from people of all the ages. It contains excellent percentage of Vitamin C also and helps in keeping skin healthy and glowing.
“Eating green chillies regularly helps in maintaining the immune system of the body. It’s consumption in recipes and salads helps in digestion of food as it is a very high source of Vitamin C. It increases the metabolic rate too, ” says City-based dietician Tapasya Mundhra. “It also affects the bowel movements. It is known to remove harmful toxins from the human body and thus helps in preventing constipation. They are good source of dietary fibre also.”
Interestingly, the bitterness of chilli which is due to a chemical called Capsaicin helps in releasing saliva which while chewing the food helps in proper digestion. Even cough and cold can be cured by consuming green chillies daily.
However, consuming large amount of chillies is also not advisable. “Eating large amounts of capsaicin causes damage to the inner lining of the stomach. Large doses of chilli without eating other foods alongwith causes increased stomach acid production,” says Tapasya.
On the other hand, red chilli powder which we normally use as a substitute for green chilli should be avoided as it does not come with the same benefits. As per doctors, chilli powders are adulterated with chemicals that can cause stomach cancer.