Chilli and Capsicum

About consuming fruits; fresh, dried or juiced.
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sunwukong
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Chilli and Capsicum

Post by sunwukong »

As chillies and capsicums are fruits, I presume that they are allowed in the diet, however I do not see them used very often in this forum.

Do they contain more anti nutrients than other fruits or is this simply a taste issue?

I am also curious about okra.
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RRM
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Re: Chilli and Capsicum

Post by RRM »

sunwukong wrote:As chillies and capsicums are fruits, I presume that they are allowed in the diet
...
Do they contain more anti nutrients than other fruits or is this simply a taste issue?
Not just a matter of taste; they do contain more antinutrients, indeed.
By far the most antinutrients (particularly capsaicin; just around the seeds)
are contained in the smaller hot peppers (chilli oe chili pepper, chillies or chilies, or hot peppers).
The much bigger ones contain far less (paprika, capsicum, bell pepper, sweet pepper or red or green pepper) and no capsaicin.
So, only the big/mild ones are acceptable.
I am also curious about okra.
The okra fruit (Bamia, Bhindi, Gumbo, kingombo or lady's fingers) contains lots of seeds,
and mostly eaten as a vegetable (stew), as there is little fruit around the seeds.
sunwukong
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Post by sunwukong »

I am quite interested in the Wai approach, it makes strong intuitive sense to eat plant foods that have made symbiotic adaptations to aid in animal digestive assimilation, and to avoid plant foods that are by comparison, inimical to assimilation.

I'm not sure that capsaicin is an anti-nutrient as I have not found any evidence yet that it inhibits the absorption of other nutrients. The only unfavourable research that I could find, totalling three papers, involved a link to stomach cancer in countries (mexico, india) where chilli consumption was very high.

Do you know of any other anti nutrients in Chilli that I should be worried about?
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Post by Iris »

Apart from scientific research, I think a whole lot is said by taste. Without habituation, one can't eat a chili pepper without any problems. When you'd take one bite, you'd naturally refuse to take another. To me, it's this simple. When something is repulsing to you, it's safe to say it's not good for you/unhealthy .
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Post by sunwukong »

I am afraid I am not swayed by your logic, as I can think of many instances where things that, although they are good for us, repel us at first.

The literature that I have reviewed so far is predominantly supportive of the inclusion of chilli in a balanced diet, as it has many health benefits. Excepting cases where consumption is immoderate, it has not yet been found to be harmful in any way.

Strange and counter intuitive for a food item that initially repels.
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Post by sunwukong »

I suppose one could argue that chilli is actually a fruit intended for birds, as birds are not affected by the capsaicin content. However, similar arguments certainly don't stop me eating blackberries. :)
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Post by Iris »

sunwukong wrote:I am afraid I am not swayed by your logic, as I can think of many instances where things that, although they are good for us, repel us at first.
Like...?
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Post by sunwukong »

Try to make a baby take olive oil.
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Post by Iris »

I'd apply the same logic here, especially because I think babies are more than adults capable of feeling/tasting/knowing what is good for them. Their taste has not yet been contaminated by all sorts of taste enhancers and addictive substances. Try giving a baby egg yolk, and you'll see what I mean :wink:

Furthermore, olive oil isn't a natural food like chili pepper. It's a derivative from olives, and olives can't be eaten right of the tree either ;)
Also, most olive oils are pressed with kernel, so toxins from the kernel will also end up in the olive oil. And the olives are often picked before they are ripe..... So lots of reasons why many olive oils taste so bad :wink:
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Post by sunwukong »

From what I remember of a study that I can no longer recall the name of and therefore not substantiate, is that when babies are given autonomous control of their diet they tend to choose bone marrow every time :)

My own children love bone marrow, egg yolk, cream, butter, cheese and raw cows milk. It is quite difficult to get them to eat vegetables or fruit unless they have been processed somehow. My 2 year old son loves chilli and will eat a food spiked with it preferentially.

I have nothing against olives, I love them myself, but I prefer to eat only olives that I have soaked and pickled myself. That represents almost a month long effort though. How can I trust that an olive oil manufacturer has used properly ripened and soaked olives? I can not.
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Post by Iris »

Indeed, this logic does not apply to processed (and thus addictive) foods like the ones you mention. Chilipepper, however, is not processed but anyway addictive. So when someone learns to eat it, I can imagine he or she prefers food spiked with it.

What happens is that your body produces endorphin when eating chilipepper, which is very addictive. It sort of a painkiller which you keep wanting more and more. That's why I said chillipepper will taste bad for people who are not used to it. I'm also not talking about food spike with it, but a plain chilipepper at once. That's often the case with unhealthy foods, you have to make them palatable,they don't taste good when eaten solely (without sauce or spices)
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Post by RRM »

Iris wrote:Chilipepper, however, is not processed but anyway addictive. So when someone learns to eat it, I can imagine he or she prefers food spiked with it.

What happens is that your body produces endorphin when eating chilipepper, which is very addictive.
Yes, indeed.
Klosterman L (2005-11-01). "Endorphins". Chronogram. Luminary Publishing, Inc..
http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2005/11 ... /index.php
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Post by sunwukong »

:D Agreed Iris, a plain chilli is something that must be worked up to in order to be pleasurable. However if it can be done and a raw chilli actually has a wonderful amount of gustatory merit. It really is delicious. The only way I can describe it is that it tastes very much like some 'sweet' flowers smell. If that makes any sense at all to anyone reading this.
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Post by Oscar »

As far as I can remember the taste of concentrated sweet bell pepper is quickly replaced by a burning sensation ;)
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Post by Iris »

Hence the secretion of endorphin.
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