Habanero is a popular kind of chili pepper named after the Cuban city of La Habana. These peppers possess variant colors, but the most common are red and orange. Originally, habanero comes from Amazon and it is known as one of the hottest chilies in the world. At the moment, Mexico is well-known as a major producer of habanero. Most people use this pepper as one of the major ingredients of chili sauce.

This pepper grows best in countries that are blessed with sunny weather. With proper attention and the right conditions, habanero can actually produce fruits for years. As long as the weather and the environment are suitable, habanero can produce throughout the year. If it gets too much water, the fruits may not grow very well. To meet the market demands of this pepper, at the moment, there are other countries in South America, aside from Mexico, that have started cultivating habanero.

Habanero pepper contains a range of nutrients which provide a myriad of health benefits. They are packed with dietary fiber, vitamins, iron, carbohydrates, potassium, calcium, and protein. Like most of the chili pepper family, habanero also contains capsaicin, a compound that provides a range of health benefits for people.

Health Benefits of Habanero Pepper

Now, let’s take a closer look at the incredible health benefits of habanero pepper.

Promotes Weight Loss

Spicy peppers like habanero can help boost metabolism by generating the thermogenic processes in the body that produces heat. This process makes use of energy, and thereby, burns extra calories. Also, when hot peppers are consumed at breakfast, they suppress appetite for the rest of the day which ultimately helps in weight loss. Habanero can even alter proteins in the body to fight off fat buildup.

Capsaicin, a compound in habanero pepper, is also considered a holistic component for weight loss. It selectively destroys nerve fibers that send messages from the stomach to the brain.

You might feel hot and sweaty after consuming the pepper. But luckily, it increases the lipid metabolism in the body, so that the body can stop producing fat.

Aids in Digestion

This may sound counter-intuitive, but the capsaicin in peppers actually functions as an anti-irritant. Although there is a belief that hot and spicy foods might result in stomach ulcers, studies have shown that peppers are beneficial for people suffering from ulcers.

Habanero pepper provides small amounts of anti-oxidants and other chemicals to prevent digestive problems, including alleviating cramps, healing stomach upsets, minimizing intestinal gas, and treating diarrhea. It achieves this by lowering the acidity in the digestive tract that results in ulcers. It also helps in saliva production and stimulates gastric juices, which aids digestion.

Reduces the Risk of Diabetes

The capsaicin in habanero pepper is believed to help prevent diabetes by reducing insulin levels. This is beneficial for obese people, who are mostly at the risk of type 2 diabetes. Habanero also regulates blood glucose and significantly reduce it to prevent and treat diabetes.

However, keep in mind that habanero pepper does not necessarily cure diabetes. But it prevents and manages diabetes. Habanero pepper works by controlling blood sugar levels if consumed raw. The cooked one may not be as potent as the uncooked one.

Prevents Cancer

Since the capsaicin in peppers contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, it is believed to be an effective cancer-fighter. It reduces the growth of prostate cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. Studies have also shown that the consumption of large amounts of peppers protects the body against bladder, pancreatic, and breast cancers.

Promotes a Healthy Heart

It also promotes the activity of the circulatory system and prevents heart disease by lowering blood serum cholesterol and reducing lipid deposits. Therefore, it reverses excessive blood clotting and also dilates the blood vessels to promote blood flow.

Contained in habanero pepper, is the capsaicin that stimulates the body nerves to increase blood flow. The blood vessels then dilate and lower blood pressure. It also increases the insulin-like growth factor IGF-I, which helps the blood cholesterol level to be reduced.

Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, and high blood pressure can be prevented with the consumption of the pepper. It is a natural approach for maintaining healthy blood circulation. In addition, it reverses the damage blood vessel and prevents bad cholesterol from accumulating in the blood vessel.

Combats Fungal Infections

Hot peppers like habanero are packed with antioxidants and beta carotene that support the immune system and helps it fight off sinusitis, colds, asthma, and the flu. The pepper also soothes the lining of the lungs

According to some studies, nasal sprays that contain capsaicin can significantly reduce congestion. Hot peppers help to increase body temperature and as such, their consumption aid the immune system in combating colds and flu viruses. In fact, the consumption of peppers like habanero protects the body against fungal strains by minimizing fungal pathogens.

Prevents Allergies

With the anti-inflammatory benefits of capsaicin, hot peppers can help prevent symptoms from allergies.  Habanero possesses anti-inflammatory abilities to reduce the effects of inflammation effect, such as swelling and pain. This is one reason why the consumption of this pepper is beneficial for fighting arthritis and headaches. This is also a natural way to get rid of migraine and other kinds of pain.

Relieves Joint Pain

Since capsaicin contains powerful pain-relieving properties, it can be applied to the skin to reduce the chemical P, the ingredient that carries pain messages to the brain. Eventually, the pain receptors exhaust themselves by reducing the body’s reserves. Once this happens, the capsaicin functions as a pain-reliever and treatment for neuralgia, a condition in which a pain comes from the nerve that is close to the skin surface.

Capsaicin can be used to relieving pain from many several conditions, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, nerve pain, and back pain. When applied directly to the skin, capsaicin reduces the amount of substance P, a chemical that helps transmit pain signals to the brain.

Good for the Skin

Psoriasis is an itchy skin condition resulting in ugly skin patches. Capsaicin cream will significantly reduce the number of cells to replicating and aids in the reversal of the auto-immune skin lesions.

Improves Breath

To avoid bad breath and improve dental health, eating hot pepper powder acts as a disinfectant to the air you breathe out by improving the odor of the breath.

Side Effects of Habanero Pepper

The health benefits of habanero pepper are much more than the disadvantages. Therefore, it is beneficial to incorporate this spicy thing into your meal. However, habanero pepper can cause severe side effects.

• It is believed that almost all peppers contain a side effect for people with a weak digestive system. It can cause nausea and heartburn. Those who suffer from digestive system issues such as chronic heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome should try to consume yogurt. It helps to give some kind of protection to the stomach to reduce the effect of habanero. Whatever the case, you should consult with a medical doctor before consuming habanero.
• The pepper also produces a burning sensation in the mouth. To alleviate this, drink some water or milk. This is because dairy products are capable of deactivating capsaicin and eliminating the burning sensation.