Peppers come in all sizes and colours. Some pack heat. Others are sweet. You can get them fresh, frozen, dried, or canned.

You’ve seen bell peppers — green, orange, yellow, and red — in the grocery store, salad bar or open markets.

Red peppers pack the most nutrition because they’ve been on the vine the longest.

Green peppers are harvested earlier before they have a chance to turn yellow, orange, and then red.

Compared to green bell peppers, the red ones have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C.

Peppers are very versatile.

You can add raw ones to everything from dips and salads to pasta dishes.

Roasting peppers is easy, too. Cut a small slit near the stems, grill or broil until blackened.

Then let them steam by zipping them into a plastic bag for about 15 minutes before scraping off the skin and removing the stem, core, and seeds.

Toss red peppers in a stir-fry for a hit of colour, too.

When working with hot peppers, remember that they can burn your skin and eyes.

Wear rubber gloves while you’re handling them, keep your hands away from your face, and wash your hands,  as soon as you’re done.

Keep a glass of whole or low-fat milk nearby, too.

 Capsaicin won’t dissolve in water. You need some fat to neutralize it.

Also, if you’ve heard the claims that, peppers make you lose weight, you may want to take it with a grain of salt.

Capsaicin: Found in hot peppers, including chilis and cayenne powder, capsaicin has been shown to boost metabolism,  as well as suppress appetite, at least slightly.

Over time, this effect might give you an extra edge when it comes to weight loss. But it won’t melt the pounds away.

Research shows that people who don’t typically eat spicy foods are most likely to benefit from turning the heat up a notch.

Capsaicin seems to affect metabolism by raising body temperature, which uses up more energy.

Dihydrocapsiate, DCT: A cousin of capsaicin, DCT is found in a strain of mild, sweet chilli peppers, sometimes called CH-19 peppers.

Researchers found that DCT in capsule form acts similarly to capsaicin, minus the fiery sensation. In a small study, people who took it while following a high-protein, very low-calorie diet for a month burned about an extra 100 calories per day.

However, they didn’t lose more weight than people taking a placebo pill, perhaps because, their diet was already very low in calories. 

Piperine: Found in dried black pepper, piperine may prevent new fat cells from forming.

The catch: Scientists have only studied mouse cells, so there’s no proof that it will work in people.

If you like black pepper, feel free to flavour your food with it.

It’s calorie-free and won’t raise your blood pressure, and it is important to not count on it to slim down.

Taiwo Akinola

Subscribe to our Telegram Channel and join our Whatsapp Update Group

pub-5160901092443552

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *