Nutrition : CHILI

Therapeutic uses :

• A simple ointment made by mixing ground chili peppers in a standard vitamin E cream can be used to stimulate blood flow to an area affected by arthritic pain, lumbago, rheumatism or neuralgia, but again it should be stressed that it is a mask for pain and not always a cure.

• Capsicum has a tonic and carminative action; and used in Ayurvedic medicine to promote digestion and to soothe a sore throat. When grounded with coriander seeds and ginger, it soothes abdominal pain and nausea.

• Chili is extremely irritating both internally and externally. Taken inordinately it may cause gastro-enteritis.

• The phytochemicals, capsaicin has this property that makes chili an effective mask of pain, hence Oleoresin capsicum is used in pain balms and vapo-rubs.

• Dehydrated green chilly is a good source of vitamin 'c'.

History of Chili :

Organic Chilies in their wild state thrived in Mexico as far back as 7000 BC and in their cultivated state around 3,500 BC. Looking for the famed black pepper of the east, the Spanish explorers instead chanced upon somewhat different pods, which possessed a tang and a bite somewhat reminiscent of the former. So they named their discovery pepper. It was the Dutch merchants who insisted in calling it Chili. And they were instrumental in spreading the chili to Europe and Asian. Traditionally, Chili has been used as a dietary ingredient in India. Its medicinal use has been restricted to local application to mask pain.

Other Uses :

• Dry chilly is extensively used as spice in curried dishes. It is also used as an ingredient in curry powder and in seasonings. Bird chilly is used in making hot sauces as pepper sauce and Tabasco sauce.
• Paprikas, Bydagi chilly, Warangal chapatta are high color less pungent varieties of chili; are widely used for color extraction. This color is highly popular among food and beverage processors.

Nutrition Facts of Chili Powder:
Calories 24

Amount per Serving
Calories 24	Calories from Fat 11
	% Daily Value
Total Fat 1gm	2%
Saturated Fat 0g	1%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 76mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 4g	1%
Dietary Fiber 3g	10%
Sugar 1g	Nil
Protein 1g
Vitamin A	44%
Vitamin C	8%
Calcium	2%
Iron	6%

This food is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin C and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Iron, Potassium and Manganese.