A pepper is a fruit ranging from sweet to moderately hot, cultivated from chili peppers in the nightshade family, which also includes eggplant, potato, and tomato.
Pepper fruits are round or elongated, in colors such as red, yellow, orange, green, or purple.
Peppers originate from South America and were later brought to Europe and the Old World.
Initially, peppers were used as medicinal and ornamental plants and only later became edible.
There are different varieties of peppers, most of them hot and some sweet.
Hot peppers contain capsaicinoids, a natural compound that creates a burning sensation in the mouth, tearing from the eyes and nose, and even increased sweating.
Capsaicinoids have no taste or smell and act directly on pain receptors in the mouth and throat.
Basic capsaicinoid is so hot that one drop diluted in 100,000 drops of water will create a burning sensation on the tongue.
Capsaicinoids are usually found in the white strips that run from one end of the pepper to the other along the walls.
Since the seeds are often near these strips, they are also very hot. In other parts of the vegetable, capsaicinoids are unevenly distributed, so some parts of the pepper may be spicier than others.
You can reduce the heat of chili peppers by removing the seeds and white strips inside.
The spiciness of peppers is measured in Scoville units, the industrial standard for measuring heat established by Wilbur Scoville. Initially, spiciness was determined by human volunteers, who tested how many units of sugar water were needed to neutralize the heat.
Today, a more advanced method called HPLC is used.
In the Scoville method, the capsaicinoid content is measured in parts per million.
The number of units per million is converted into Scoville heat units.
One part per million equals 15 Scoville units. Bell peppers have 0 Scoville units, jalapeños have 2,500-5,000, cayenne and Tabasco peppers contain 30,000-50,000 units, while habanero peppers, considered the hottest, contain 200,000-300,000 units. Pure capsaicin contains 16 million Scoville units.
Is it dangerous to eat hot peppers? Probably not, according to recent research.
The common belief was that hot peppers or other spicy foods could cause stomach ulcers, but there is no evidence for this.
Studies in regions with high consumption of hot peppers, such as Brazil and Thailand, did not show a higher number of ulcer patients compared to other places. Hot peppers do not cause hemorrhoids or pain for sufferers because the active compound breaks down before reaching the lower intestines.
In fact, there is evidence that peppers have some benefits.
Capsaicin may help prevent heart attacks or strokes caused by blood clots.
Small amounts of capsaicin can numb the skin and have anti-inflammatory properties.
In some countries, peppers are used as ointments.
Additionally, peppers are rich in vitamin C, which may also protect the body from cancer.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can prevent the damage caused by free radicals, which may lead to mutations in body cells.
Regular green peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruits, red peppers contain three times more 360% more than an orange, and red peppers are also an excellent source of beta-carotene.
What to Do in Case of Pepper Burn
There are several remedies for the burning caused by hot peppers, which is usually noticed too late. Frequent consumption of hot peppers may “toughen” the mouth against their heat. Many recommend drinking tomato juice or eating fresh lemon based on the idea that acidity counteracts the active capsaicin. Some eat hot peppers and prepare a pitcher of cold water, which is not very effective. Capsaicin is oily and does not mix with water, so water spreads it to other areas in the mouth. The most effective solution is drinking milk and swishing it or eating bread or rice, which absorb the capsaicin.