Health Benefits And Nutrition Fact Of Pepper
Herbs and Spice PepperPepper (Piper nigrum L) save a lot of health benefits. Pepper is known as herbs and spice, pepper also has many benefits as a drug. Not many people know that black pepper has more healthy properties. Pepper is very useful when used in a variety of recipes and as a spice.
Pepper is very important in components of world cuisine and is widely known as an important trade commodity in the Old World. In the past they were very expensive so be one of the triggers of European exploration to East Asia to master the trade, and thus began the history of the colonization of Africa, Asia, and America.
There are two types of pepper that popular, black pepper and white pepper. White pepper is pepper plucked when ripe. Then peel the skin by soaking in water for two weeks, then dried in the sun for three days. While black pepper is a pepper that are picked when mature but still green skin, and no soaked, dried immediately.
Nutritional Facts of Pepper:
Pepper has high content of Vitamins especially Vitamin K, besides Vitamin A and C. Similarly the dietary fiber content is high. Pepper has no cholesterol and it is very low in sugar content.
| Black peppers (Piper nigrum), | ||
| Nutritional value per 100 g. | ||
| (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base) | ||
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
| Energy | 255 Kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 64.81 g | 49% |
| Protein | 10.95 g | 19.5% |
| Total Fat | 3.26 g | 11% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 26.5 g | 69% |
| Vitamins | | |
| Choline | 11.3 mg | 2% |
| Folic acid | 10 mcg | 2.5% |
| Niacin | 1.142 mg | 7% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.340 mg | 26% |
| Riboflavin | 0.240 mg | 18% |
| Thiamin | 0.109 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin A | 299 IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 21 mg | 35% |
| Vitamin E-γ | 4.56 mg | 30% |
| Vitamin K | 163.7 mcg | 136% |
| Electrolytes | | |
| Sodium | 44 mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 1259 mg | 27% |
| Minerals | | |
| Calcium | 437 mg | 44% |
| Copper | 1.127 mg | 122% |
| Iron | 28.86 mg | 360% |
| Magnesium | 194 mg | 48.5% |
| Manganese | 5.625 mg | 244.5% |
| Phosphorus | 173 mg | 25% |
| Zinc | 1.42 mg | 13% |
| Phyto-nutrients | | |
| Carotene-β | 156 mcg | -- |
| Carotene-α | 0 mcg | -- |
| Crypto-xanthin-β | 48 mcg | -- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 205 mcg | -- |
| Lycopene | 6 mcg | -- |
Some of the benefits of pepper for our health:
Weight loss
Pepper contains a chemical known as capsaicin, which is the ingredient that makes peppers, has hot properties. Capsaicin is also good to help you lose weight. Capsaicin is commonly found in weight loss pills and some other supplements. How capsaicin can help us lose weight? The answer is very simple. Capsaicin is actually burning up calories and fat with its thermal properties. Feeling the heat we feel when eating a pepper contains many will be able to burn fat.
Arthritis
Capsaicin also acts as an anti-inflammatory which makes it works to reduce the swelling and pain in those who suffer from arthritis.
Cancer
A study by British scientists at the University of Nottingham and other studies by the American Association of Cancer Research reported that capsaicin found in peppers are actually able to kill certain cancer cells, especially prostate cancer cells.
Headache
The content of capsaicin in pepper can also serve to block neuropeptide known as substance P, which is the main transmitter of pain to the brain. So when we are eating pepper pain in the head will be able to alleviate the symptoms.
Nasal congestion
This one may seem a bit obvious. Hot pepper caused by capsaicin can clear your sinuses. It even helps to fight sinus infections with air duct cleaning. This means we really can breathe easier with the help of this pepper.
Stomach pain
Peppers could not cure heartburn, but at least they can prevent the disease. The heat from the pepper can kill bad bacteria in the stomach and intestines that is the cause of stomach ulcers.
High blood pressure
Pepper, chili in general has a lot of flavanoids, Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which is a substance that can lower a person's blood pressure.
Heart health
Too much fluid in the body can be bad for your heart. With the abundance of fluid around the heart wall will result in a strain on the heart and it is potentially harmful cardiac performance. One sign of too much fluid retention is a swollen ankle. Other symptoms, difficulty breathing, because too much water can suppress lung.
Why pepper can help maintain a healthy heart? Because pepper causes us to sweat and the more we sweat the fluids in the body is reduced.
Anti-oxidants
Because of flavanoids and vitamins found in pepper so it is good for anti-oxidant, which means they work in the bloodstream to help the body fight anything that threatens the cells damage.
