Spice It Up With Capsicum

Reader Contribution by Lori Osterloh-Hagaman
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Every single day there is an article proclaiming the virtues of some exotic herb. One gets vivid mental images of an Indiana Jones type of character, venturing through uncharted jungle to uncover these latest and greatest magical plants to cure all of the world’s ills. Maybe such a plant exists somewhere, but until it is found, I’m going to stick with some tried and true remedies. One of these is Capsicum.

Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) is a plant that is originally native to the warmer climates of North and Central America. It is now cultivated in many regions around the world during the hot, summer growing months. It is used to add heat to many dishes, like chili, salsa, and General Tso’s Chicken, just to name a few.

A warming herb, capsicum is rich in vitamin C, alpha-tocopherols (vitamin E), beta-carotene, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 (folic acid), cobalt and zinc. This being said, it has been said to be of great benefit to the circulatory system. Linus Pauling, a researcher that heavily researched vitamin C, suggested large doses of vitamin C to aid in the avoidance of coronary heart disease. His research is carried on today by the research institute that bears his name at Oregon State University, the Linus Pauling Institute. Their research efforts have shown that consumption of vitamin C (700 mg/day) decreased a person’s chances of ending up with coronary heart disease by 25%. They also have presented information form studies that show vitamin C consumption warding off the thickening of artery walls. This is pretty exciting stuff. Capsicum is one way to increase that vitamin C intake.

Naturopathic Herb

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