THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE CHILLI

The main virtue of the chilli pepper lies in the fact that it is a powerful stimulant, yet has no narcotic effects. At last, something that feels good and is good for you! It is interesting that the chilli is most popular in tropical climates. One half expects people living in these regions would avoid any more heat at all costs, but no, the stimulation of the hot chilli causes the heart to beat faster thus causing the body to sweat and since the sweat glands are the body's natural air conditioner, the tropics are obviously the place to activate them! Chilli peppers, used with discretion, will also help a sluggish digestion. They certainly help the Mexicans and South Americans digest their heavy spicy foods. Most doctors in the 20th century agree that eating chillis, particularly the acrid Capsicum annuum frutescens, will encourage salivations, gastric secretions and gut movement and thus make food easier to digest. The oil content of the capsicum, if dissolved in ether and applied with cotton wool, is considered by many to be very useful in relieving rheumatic pains. It is even claimed by some that if one eats a lot of chilli peppers they will rid the body of enough fats to lower the blood cholesterol level and reduce the chances of heart attack. Indeed, it is true that a study of chilli-eating Spanish Americans has shown them to suffer from a remarkable low level of heart disease! For hundreds of years, doctors and herbalists have been recommending chilli peppers as a cure for digestive disorders, catarrh, weak sight, acne and skin diseases, rheumatism, chilblains and alcoholism.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF GARLIC

Garlic is one of the oldest known medicinal plants, and it's been credited with fighting heart disease, lowering blood pressure and helping to fight off colds. The therapeutic qualities of garlic are nothing new. Sanskrit records reveal that garlic remedies were pressed into service in India 5,000 years ago, while Chinese medicine has recognised garlic's powers for over 3,000 years. Even Louis Pasteur, who discovered penicillin, recognised the anti-bacterial powers of garlic back in 1858. And during World War One surgeons regularly used garlic juice to stop wounds turning septic. So, what is it about garlic that makes it such a boon to our health? When cloves are chewed, crushed or cut, they release a sulphur-bearing compound called allicin - the chemical that gives garlic its pungent taste and smell. And it's the allicin that scientists have discovered is the magic ingredient thought to be responsible for garlic's therapeutic qualities. Garlic - helping your health Most of the modern research on garlic has concentrated on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. For example, when the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians reviewed data on cholesterol in 1993, it found that after just four weeks there was a 12 per cent reduction in cholesterol levels in the research groups that had taken garlic.

Scientists have also looked at the role garlic plays in helping prevent the formation of blood clots. A review of recent clinical trials, published in the Journal of Hypertension, showed that taking garlic tablets cut volunteers' blood pressure by between one and five per cent. These results led the report's authors to conclude that taking supplements could cut the incidence of stroke by anything from 30-40 per cent, while heart disease could be reduced by 20-25 percent. While garlic is gathering a reputation for helping to maintain a healthy heart, regular amounts of garlic seems to also help the body fight off infections. These antibacterial effects were first discovered in the early 19th century during an outbreak of infectious fever - English priests caught the fever but the French priests, who ate garlic every day, remained healthy. However, you don't need to suffer with a fever to benefit from garlic's health enhancing properties.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF GINGER

There's real science behind the legends and myths that are associated with ginger. Decades of research have revealed the wealth of health locked inside gingerroot. In addition to containing nutritional pluses such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and phytochemicals, this robust rhizome can soothe an upset tummy, kill harmful microbes, and help clear toxins from the blood. Best of all, you don't need to eat ginger by the pound to get the effects and benefits. Most studies have found that as little as a gram a day--less than a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger--gets fight to work helping to protect your system from a number of diseases. An all-around good guy The concentrated antioxidants in ginger guard against cancer before it starts by halting cell damage caused by rogue oxygen molecules. Other powerful compounds in ginger show the ability to stop existing tumors from reproducing, and even kill some pre- and early-stage cancer cells.

Scientists have found other attributes to ginger, including evidence that ginger can: prevent blood clots from forming. reduce blood cholesterol. kill harmful microorganisms that contaminate food. protect against unwanted microbes that pass into the digestive system. soothe the symptoms associated with colds (and even be toxic to the types of viruses believed to cause the common cold). work topically as an antibacterial ointment, provide relief of arthritis pain and swelling, and inhibit development of precancerous skin growths. act as an effective antinausea remedy, especially for the nausea associated with motion sickness and pregnancy.