Eating Red Chiles Make you Healthier

Eating Red Chiles Make you Healthier
With fall's arrival, green chiles ripen to become red. The
amazing phenomenon is that the nutrition also changes. In
green chiles the flesh is very rich with Vitamin C, whereas
when the slant of the sun signals Fall-the flesh becomes
very rich with Vitamin A, the sight vitamin.

Eating chiles-any type, red or green arms oneself with
myriads of healthful properties. Studies have shown that
if people eat chiles 24 out of every 30 or so days in a
month-they are much healthier. Jin Y. Kang, MD of the
National University of Singapore studied the effects of
chiles on digestion.

"Kang discovered that ulcer-free patients ate 2.6 times
more chile than those with ulcers. The ulcer-free patients
ate chile more often-24 times per month, compared with 8
times per month for those with ulcers."

Another report in the Nutrition Reporter by Jack Challem
"People suffering from ulcers are usually warned to avoid
spicy foods. But new research suggests that capsaicin is
the opposite-that capsaicin might actually protect against
peptic ulcers."

The seasonal cold and flu season brings another reason to
enjoy indulging in chiles. Chiles cure colds-even the
ancients knew this. John Heinerman's book, the Healing
Benefits of Cayenne, published in 1997 reflects that a
Mayan Curandera or Medicine Woman recommended a combination
of the local sour orange juice combined with a pinch of
cayenne. This was drunk and gargled and cured the flu
symptoms in 24 hours.

In New Mexico, a major chile growing state, the red chiles
are dried for future use. Traditionally they were dried in
space saving strings or ristras. These allowed the sun to
evenly reach all of the chiles. Once dried, they are best
kept cool or even refrigerated or frozen for later cooking.

Grinding the chiles has become a popular and space saving
method for storing chiles. They are then best stored
chilled in the refrigerator or freezer.

If it is hard to gain the healthful properties of eating
chiles-try keeping a small bowl of crushed or ground chiles
on the dinner table. Sprinkle on foods instead of black
pepper or in addition-a little bit goes a long way towards
better health and they are an amazing flavor accent.
Crushed chiles coupled with fresh lime wedges are great on
nearly anything.

Another way to add chiles to your diet is to create a chile
tea or tisane for days when you are not eating chiles.
Steep ground red chiles in hot water until the color of the
water is a deep red hue, then strain and reserve the chile
water. To serve hot or cold, add honey and lemon, lime or
vinegar to taste

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Jane Butel, the first to write about Southwestern cooking,
has published 18 cookbooks, several being best sellers.
She operates a full-participation weekend and week long
vacation cooking school, an on-line school which teaches
"All About Chiles", conducts culinary tours and
team-building classes.
http://www.janebutel.com