How is bitter pepper useful for the human body?

Spicy, but does not cut, burns, but does not shine ... The bitter truth about bitter pepper. Almost every person will answer the question about a popular spice - bitter pepper. It is called differently - spicy, foliar, chilli... In the world, pepper is famous as a spice that complements any dish, giving it pungency and piquancy. Bitter pepper is worthy of an article dedicated to it.

Content:

• Characteristics of bitter pepper
• Composition and useful properties
• Application
• Harm and contraindications
• The best varieties and tips for growing peppers

Characteristics of bitter pepper

Bitter capsicum is a plant, 50-60 cm high, with small oval leaves and large flowers. Did you know that pepper pods are berries. The berries grow in various sizes: large, oblong, round, rectangular, red or green.

Inside, the pods are hollow, and the flat seeds in them are the source of the burning power of the pepper.

America and India are considered the native countries of hot pepper. Columbus introduced the spice to Europe. He was the first to bring the pepper. This spice quickly gained popularity. "A bag of pepper" - this was the name of the rich people of Europe in the Middle Ages.

In England, even an association of merchant-peppers was formed. The merchants, who, due to the high demand for the spice, quickly made a fortune. And the family coats of arms of merchants were necessarily supplemented with a pepper pod.

Composition and useful properties

A bright representative of "spicy" has properties that can work miracles. A small pod of pepper is a storehouse of nutrients.

In addition to carbohydrates and proteins, pepper contains:

• fatty acid
• essential oils
• lycopene - an antioxidant that slows down the development of malignant cells
• vitamins - beta-carotene of group A, vitamins of group B, E, C, K, PP
• minerals - magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium. As well as zinc, iron, selenium, potassium manganese

The vitamin C content in pepper is 4-6 times higher than that in citrus fruits. For example, 100 g of lemon contains 40 mg of vitamin, and 100 g of hot pepper - 145 mg. Due to its pungency, the bitter spice successfully fights against microbes and harmful bacteria, therefore it is recommended for use during colds. Capsaicin, contained in pepper juice, promotes active hair growth.

In addition, hot peppers stimulate the production of endorphins, hormones responsible for reducing stress and pain. Endorphins have a beneficial effect on the human circulatory system. The union of vitamin C and P strengthens and cleanses blood vessels. Doctors recommend pepper to patients suffering from atherosclerosis, rheumatism and gout.

Scientists have proven that the use of hot pepper leads to the normalization of sleep and weight retention.

Metabolic processes are stimulated, the human body gets rid of toxins and harmful substances. Many researchers claim hot peppers fight cancer cells. Its substances interfere with the production of energy in cells affected by cancer, which leads to their death. This is not about the treatment of cancer with pepper, but about the fact that its use is to prevent the development of this disease.

Application

Hot peppers are respected in the cuisines of countries such as Italy, France, Hungary, India, Mexico.Most often it is added to meat and fish dishes, soups and side dishes. Capsicum is appropriate in vegetable dishes and canning.

Dry crushed peppers are used as a spice.

Spice is included in many seasonings, and also combined with spices - basil, thyme, coriander, garlic and others. Bitter pepper is an excellent cure for many diseases. It is widely practiced in folk and official medicine - pepper plaster and pepper tincture are well known to everyone. Topical application of the warming properties of pepper helps with sciatica, joint pain and frostbite.

Bitter pepper is also used in cosmetology: it is added to oils and lotions, they rejuvenate the skin of the body and make it more elastic. Quite often, pepper is included in anti-cellulite creams. Adding juice to hair care products will increase blood circulation and stimulate hair follicles.

Harm and contraindications

Along with the mass of positive qualities, you need to be careful when using hot pepper. It is categorically impossible to use this product for people who are prone to or have gastrointestinal diseases, such as

• gastritis
• colitis
• stomach and duodenal ulcer

With such diseases, lovers of acute, easily acquire heartburn, burns of mucous membranes or bleeding. Pepper is undesirable for people diagnosed with hypertension, angina pectoris, arrhythmia. Its use disrupts the heart rhythm and provokes a heart attack.

It is highly undesirable to eat food seasoned with pepper suffering from liver and kidney failure.

It is difficult for the kidneys and liver to cope with the function of cleansing the body, in the conditions of the use of spicy food. You can not use pepper for women during pregnancy, during lactation, children, if there are open wounds or scratches on the skin, so as not to get burned.

Healthy people should also be careful, because with the abuse of hot pepper, side effects occur: increased sweating, burning sensation in the stomach, discomfort, allergic reaction and the development of gastritis. When working with hot peppers, it is better to use rubber gloves so that you do not burn your hands and accidentally get the juice in your eyes or mouth.

The best varieties and tips for growing peppers

With a variety of positive and negative properties and qualities of pepper, it is worthy of attention. And thus causes excitement to try to grow this wonderful berry on your own. The key to a good harvest lies in choosing the right plant variety and caring for it.

Before you start choosing a variety, decide where you will grow it - in the garden, in the greenhouse or on the window in the apartment? How fast do you want to harvest? Some varieties ripen quickly, while others "pull to the last." What yield do you want to have?

Many varieties produce a large amount of fruit and do not have to plant a pepper plantation. Basically, hot pepper varieties are divided into two types - piquant and shrub:

• The spicy species has a pungent and bright taste. It is usually used raw, since the peppercorns are long and inconvenient to dry.
• Shrubs will perfectly take root at home as an ornamental plant. Its fruits are edible, dried and added to seasonings.

Popular varieties of hot pepper:

• Cayenne pepper. A common variety of hot pepper. It is used dry and fresh in soups, vegetable or meat dishes. Suitable for the production of ketchup.
• Jalapeno. Mexican variety. Medium pungency. The plant is thermophilic, therefore a greenhouse and a greenhouse are the best places for growing. The fruits are harvested in green. Add to salads.
• Hungarian waxy yellow. The variety is neither spicy nor demanding. Suitable for pickling and stuffing.
• Chinese fire. The fruits of this pepper are both pickled and eaten raw. Peppercorns reach a length of 25 cm, unpretentious to growing conditions.

Let's start landing. Experts believe that the best way to grow peppers is from seeds.Their germination capacity, with proper care, lasts up to 3-4 years. It is advisable to start the process of growing seedlings in February, in order to plant peppers in open ground in the spring.

1. Soak the seeds in water for a while. This is necessary for their better germination.
2. We prepare the soil and fill it with containers for planting
3. We make holes in the soil with a match or a toothpick.
4. We plant the prepared seeds in containers. The desired room temperature is at least 25 degrees.
5. The containers are closed with a bar and removed to a bright and warm place.
6. When the sprouts hatch, it is advisable to reduce the temperature in the room by 2-4 degrees.
7. Young seedlings require regular watering. Drying and waterlogging should not be allowed.
8. Bushes that have grown up to 25-30 centimeters are recommended to be planted in open ground, where onions or carrots previously grew.
9. The desired temperature by the time of disembarkation is 15-17 degrees. It is better to do this on a cloudy day, or in the evening, avoiding direct sunlight.
10. The seedlings are removed from the containers together with the soil and planted in holes. The wells are watered abundantly. The size of the hole should be approximately the same as the size of the container. It is advisable not to seedlings with bare roots.
11. The landing pattern corresponds to the size 40cmx50cm. These distances increase or decrease, depending on the variety of pepper, the larger the bush, the wider the distance between the seedlings.

The first few days after planting seedlings in the ground, the pepper looks sluggish. This is because the root system suffers during transplantation and the plant is under stress. It takes some time to adapt. During this period of time, the main thing is not to overdo it with watering. Waterlogging is not permissible, as thin roots will rot. The first abundant watering is necessary a week after planting. Further care of the plant consists in periodic watering, feeding and weeding.

More information can be found in the video:

Watering should be done regularly. Until the moment of fruiting - once a week, during fruiting - twice. Watering is carried out at the root, without touching the leaves. More often, watering is combined with top dressing. First, the plant is watered with water, then with fertilizer, then again with water. This will make the seedling sparingly fertilized.

If the pepper grows well and blooms, then it needs pinching.

Pinch the top of the plant, then the shoots will begin to grow on the sides. This ensures a good harvest. It is possible to collect up to 25 peppers from one bush. If the fruits have begun to set, leave the amount you need - remove the excess. And the plant will give its strength to the remaining fruits.

Harvesting time for the pepper is from mid-July to October inclusive. Surprisingly, peppers can be picked without waiting for them to fully ripen. At home, the fruits will ripen and this will not affect their properties in any way. The main thing is to remove the fruits from the bush carefully and together with the stalk. You can store hot pepper all year round, it will not lose its sharpness and pungency. And there are many storage options - the pepper is dried, ground on a coffee grinder and added during the cooking process. You can pickle peppers and freeze them for the winter. Frozen peppers retain all their properties and aroma