What Happens If You Eat Chili Peppers for Breakfast?
Before we start talking about eating chili peppers for breakfast, let’s understand why chili peppers were used in the first place. Yes, chili peppers add flavor to food but spices played a role beyond taste in the past. They actually helped prevent spoilage, which was very important in warm climates. In cold climates, you could “freeze” your food in snow or even place it in a frozen pond but in warm climates food would spoil quickly. This is where spices come into play. Many spices contain antibacterial/anti-microbial properties, which would aid in preventing food spoilage.
Now, what benefits do chili peppers have? What makes them hot is also the chemical that aids in food preservation. What is it? Well, you guessed it: capsaicin. This hot chemical that gives heat to peppers is also a very powerful anti-microbial that is known to kill 75% of bacterial growth that could cause food spoilage.
Why would one want to start their day with a breakfast dish that has chili peppers in it? Well, to answer that question let’s take a look at other benefits that hot peppers provide.
Promotes a Healthy Heart
Hot peppers help the circulatory system by reducing blood serum cholesterol levels and lipid deposits. This, in turn, can reverse excessive blood clotting.
They are also known to dilate blood vessels so that the blood can travel through the veins more freely.
Helps with Allergies
Capsaicin found in hot peppers is an anti-inflammatory, which can aid in preventing allergies and addressing the symptoms of allergies.
Prevents bad breath
Eating hot peppers, using hot sauce and/or hot pepper powder is one way of preventing bad breath. Yes, you heard it right. Eating hot peppers can keep your breath smelling fresh but how. It seems that hot peppers disinfect the mouth, which prevents bad breath.
Fights Cold, Flu, and Fungal Infections
Since hot peppers are full of antioxidants, eating them is a great way of boosting your immune system.
When it comes to fungal infections, it has been discovered that hot peppers will fight against 16 fungal strains by attacking fungal pathogens that can cause an assortment of problems.
May Reduce Cancer Risk
Believe it or not, recent studies have shown that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of hot peppers can shrink cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. It is showing promise in prostate, breast, pancreatic, and bladder cancers. Now the kicker in this approach though is you must consume eight large habaneros per week to get any results.
Hot Peppers Benefit the Digestive Tract
This may sound a bit odd especially if you have an ulcer. Many individuals for years have been told to avoid spicy foods if they have digestive tract problems. Studies have shown that avoiding spicy foods is not something you want to do if you have digestive tract issues.
It has been found that antioxidants and other substances found in hot peppers help heal an upset stomach, reduce gas, aid in reducing cramping and diarrhea. Hot peppers also reduce the amount of acid in the stomach, which can lead to ulcers. Due to their hot nature, these peppers also increase salvia production along with other gastric juices, which aid in the digestive process.
However, everyone is different. Eating chili can cause intestinal distress in some people. This is more common in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Chili can temporarily worsen symptoms in those who are not used to eating it regularly. So if you are not used to it, try incorporating it slowly into your diet.
Mitigates Migraines
When it comes to migraines and hot peppers, the route to relief is based on a phenomenon that is a bit unique. It seems that if you have pain in one area and you do something that causes discomfort in another area then you forget about the first pain. As far as it goes with hot peppers, consuming these beauties seems to take your mind off your head hurting due to their hotness, which can cause some discomfort.
Promotes Weight Loss
You may be surprised to know that eating spicy peppers can help you lose some weight. The first way this is accomplished is through a process called thermogenic.
This process is where the body produces heat, which burns calories. Eating hot peppers can also alter proteins in the body and reduce fat accumulation.
Capsaicin is known to selectively destroy nerve fibers in the stomach whose job is to carry signals from the stomach to the brain. If the brain is not getting a hungry signal from the stomach then you feel satisfied, which means no overeating.
If hot peppers are eaten with breakfast then this full-filling will carry throughout the day. This suppressed appetite could equate to weight loss.
Who would not want to eat some hot chili peppers with breakfast but to get those culinary juices flowing, give these recipe a try this weekend.
Avocado Toast With Chili Flakes and Honey
Ingredients:
- 2 slices multigrain bread, toasted
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Chili pepper flakes to taste/ Fresh Chili Pepper
Steps:
- Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh out.
- Divide the flesh between two pieces of toast. Using a fork, mash the avocado to spread it and create a creamy layer.
- Drizzle honey over top. Sprinkle with chili peppers.
Mango Chili Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups of frozen mango chunks
- 3 Tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 Tablespoons dried goji berries
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ cups apple juice
- 1 cup of water
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- Sweetener of your choice (optional)
Steps
- Put all the ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a glass and enjoy.
You can also make Hot Pepper Jam or Chili Oil and incorporate them in your breakfast recipes.
Spicy peppers rev up the metabolic rate by generating the thermogenic processes in our body that generates heat.
That process utilizes energy, and thereby, burns additional calories. In addition, if hot peppers are consumed at breakfast, the appetite is suppressed for the rest of the day which ultimately helps in weight loss.
It may even alter proteins in your body to combat fat accumulation.
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I have eggs for breakfast most mornings, and I top with a good sprinkle of cayenne pepper and some medium/hot salsa mix. I know that’s not like eating a pepper or two, but is there some benefit?
Hi Paul,
Studies suggest that 2–6 mg of capsaicin may offer health benefits. Two to five 500-mg cayenne pepper capsules should provide this amount if you cannot incorporate this amount into your diet.
Also, if you can get your hands on fresh cayenne peppers, you’ll get a lot more vitamins. One fresh pepper has 72% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C and 50% of vitamin A. Still, the dried cayenne powder is a good source of vitamin A.
Many blessings and good health!
What specific chilis are you referring to, or are you only talking about Habaneros?
Hello – do green hot peppers beneficial? A naturopath advised not to eat green peppers.
Not only are green peppers high in iron, but they’re also rich in Vitamin C, which can help your body absorb iron more efficiently. This combination makes green peppers a superfood when it comes to preventing and treating iron-deficient anemia
Hot peppers added to our food in regular meals, like supper, gave us generalized joint pains, after at about a week consuming it. The peppers were infused in olive oil over a few weeks in the fridge, salt. They were chili peppers
Was it a detoxification reaction? Just a thought. Maybe just do 1-2x/week for starters (not every day)?
Thank you for this. I forwarded to my friend who was found to have cancerous tumor in his bladder. The tumor was removed but the red pepper will definitely help. Thanks🙏