Pickled Banana Peppers health benefits & side effects

Are banana peppers good for you?

Banana peppers, also known as the yellow wax pepper, Hungarian peppers, or banana chilies, belong to the Capsicum annum family, cousins to the cayenne and jalapeno.

They are grown in 2 varieties, sweet and hot (the degree of hotness pretty much depends on the ripeness level), and are usually yellow in color, but can also be orange or red.

These peppers are great for pickling and frying but contain less moisture than green peppers. Moreover, they need the same growing conditions as other peppers.

Health Benefits of Eating Pickled Banana Peppers

Cancer Treatment

They contain small levels of health benefiting alkaloid compound – capsaicin, which is actually the active ingredient in chili peppers which makes them hot.

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, capsaicin can be a beneficial component of a prostate cancer treatment plan due to its capacity to kill prostate cancer cells.

This compound has potent antibacterial properties and can help to fight diarrhea caused by a bacterial infection and to improve your digestion by increasing the digestive fluids in the stomach. In addition, this compound prevents chronic sinus infections.

Improved blood pressurehypertension high blood pressure

Vitamin C is the most effective antioxidant in our blood, and it is essential for the body to make collagen, an important structural protein that’s a key component of tendons, cartilage, skin, and bones.

Vitamin C also contributes to the healing of external and internal wounds.

According to a 2015 study by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Malaysia, vitamin C considerably lowered diastolic (the bottom number) and systolic (the top number) blood pressure in individuals with moderately high blood pressure.

This vegetable contains 82,7 mg of vitamin C per 100g representing 92 percent of the daily recommended value.

Brain function supportsmart drugs and a brain

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, helps calm and maintain a healthy nervous system, and is also essential for important metabolic processes.

Another way pyridoxine impacts brain function is by controlling homocysteine (an amino acid in the blood) levels, which may damage the neurons of the central nervous system and also a risk factor for heart disease, too.

The deficiency symptoms of pyridoxine include – loss of appetite, fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, insomnia, the appearance of cracks around the lips, and swelling of the tongue and mouth.

This vegetable contains 0,4 mg of vitamin B6 per 100g representing 27 percent of the daily recommended value.

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Helpful in digestion and eliminationGut bacteria, colon, gut flora, large intestine, microbiome

Dietary fiber, also known as roughage, is best renowned for helping to keep food moving easily through your body.

There are 2 types of fiber: insoluble fiber (that does not dissolve in water), which is helpful with constipation, and soluble fiber (that partially dissolves in water), which according to studies, lowers LDL cholesterol levels.

Another easier way to categorize dietary fiber is “non-fermentable vs fermentable” – that is, whether the goods bacteria in the gut can use it or not.

Moreover, there are other beneficial aspects of consuming foods with dietary fiber – it alters the secretion of gut hormones, decreases absorption of toxins, and is good for healthy weight loss, too.

A healthy metabolism

Copper is an important mineral that is needed by the body for healing arthritis and regulating blood pressure. The adult body contains approximately 1.7 of this mineral per kilogram of body weight.

Furthermore, it is essential for more than 50 metabolic enzyme reactions that take place within the body on a daily basis. More importantly, copper helps to keep the immune system, blood vessels, bones, and nerves at optimal parameters.

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Skin protectionaloe vera benefits for skin

Beta-carotene is a red-orange pigment found in fruits and plants and is responsible for the vibrant colors of some vegetables and fruits. It is an organic compound that is chemically classified as a terpenoid.

There is strong evidence that this plant pigment can help prevent night blindness and other eye problems and can also protect the skin against damage caused by UV light.

Furthermore, it is linked with a decreased risk of lung and oral cavity cancers, as well as cardiovascular diseases.

How to eat

You can consume this vegetable when it is ripe (red), immature (green), or anywhere in between. It is usually eaten in vegetable salads, on pizza, or on sandwiches.

In addition, you can freeze them and roast them for later use.

Selection and storage

When buying, they should be firm. You can store unwashed peppers in a loosely closed plastic bag in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.

Side effects

It contains capsaicin which can cause a burning sensation, that is commonly mild.

According to research, this substance is generally considered safe to use in the amounts usually found in food, however, in some rare cases, it may cause some side effects, such as – stomach pain, sweating, diarrhea, a runny nose, flushed skin, and tears.

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References

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-c/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4492638/
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-B6

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