benefits of jalapeno

The jalapeno pepper packs a nutritional punch, with notable amounts of two important vitamins. Jalapenos are just one variety of chili pepper, a nightshade vegetable well known for a hot and pungent flavor. These little peppers derive their heat from a natural plant compound called capsaicin, which offers powerful health benefits.

Jalapenos are mostly available green, turning red as they mature. These peppers contain a negligible amount of calories, with only 4 calories in one pepper. They also have less than a gram each of protein and fat and just 0.91 gram of carbohydrates in a serving, making them a good choice for low carb diets.

Jalapenos are a rich source of vitamin C, with almost 17 milligrams in a small pepper. That is equal to 18 percent of the recommended daily allowance for men and 23 percent for women. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps prevent damage from free radicals, rogue molecules that can cause cell damage in your body. Jalapenos also supply a good amount of vitamin A, which supports skin and eye health; one pepper offers 17 percent of the RDA for men and 22 percent for women.

The Scoville scale measures the capsaicin in various peppers. Jalapenos rank as medium on the scale, with 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units per pepper, according to Rebecca Wood, author of

Cooking reduces the heat of jalapeno peppers. While it would be rare to eat a whole jalapeno pepper, sliced and diced jalapenos make a spicy addition to tomato and mango salsas, nachos, black and pinto beans and corn based dishes. If you like your food hot, leave more of the inner white membrane on the chopped pepper, as that is where most of the capsaicin is concentrated. You can also roast jalapenos and other chili peppers, which imparts a smoky flavor.

Jalapeno is a perennial small herbaceous plant with woody stem growing up to a meter in height. It grows well under fertile, well drained soil conditions. Adequate sunlight and moisture requirements are the other main factors influencing foliage, flower, and fruiting conditions. The plant bears tiny, white color flowers after about 45 days after transplantation and green pepper pods appear after about 60 days. Mature jalapenos generally exhibit small cracks around the shoulders of the fruit. Harvesting ripe red fruits may last over several months.

The heat in a jalape

Capsaicin may help to defend heart health by reducing cholesterol, triglycerides and platelet aggregation. It may also help the body dissolve fibrin, which blood clots need in order to form. Furthermore, cultures throughout the world that take full advantage of spicy hot peppers in their meals have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than the rest. Jalape

The capsaicin in jalape

Capsaicin is a potent anti inflammatory agent. It inhibits Substance P, which is associated with inflammatory processes, much like it relieves headaches and migraines, mentioned above. Capsaicin may also one day be a treatment for arthritis, psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy.