Habanero Facts:
The Habanero measures between 200,000 and 300,000 Scoville Units, placing it at 10 on the heat scale. It is without question the hottest of the chile peppers. Although its usage dates back to 6500 B.C., it has just recently come to fame in the U.S. Market.

The Habanero (and other really hot chilies) produce a euphoria for a few minutes after they are ingested because they cause the body to secrete endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s own natural pain relievers. Also, it is a medical fact that chilies are a very good source of vitamins A, C, and others. In addition, they stimulate the circulation in the digestive tract thereby aiding in digestion. They have also been known to lower high blood pressure. So, hot is cool!

25 Spicy Facts

1. The burning feeling that makes chile peppers so appealing to pyro-gourmaniacs comes from a collection of compounds called capsaicinoids.

2. Mexico alone grows more than 140 varieties of chile peppers alone.

3. When hot sauce is consumed, a common reaction by the body is to sweat, particularly on the forehead. The scientific term for this reaction is gustatory perspiration.

4. Capsaicin irritates the pain receptors in the mouth, nose and stomach, releasing the chemical messenger “Substance P.” This stimulates the brain to produce endorphins, a natural painkillers that give the body a sense of well-being.

5. Capsaicin gives chile peppers their heat and is concentrated in the veins of the fruit.

6. The shorter the molecular chain, the hotter the chile pepper.

7. Chile peppers are cholesterol free, low in sodium and calories, rich in Vitamins A and C, and a good source of folic acid, potassium and Vitamin E.

8. Is your mouth on fire? Don’t drink water! Capsaicin, which is an oil, does not mix with the water but is instead distributed to more parts of the mouth.

9. Many people experience an aphrodisiac-like effect when eating hot peppers.

10. When it comes to heat, size does matter. In general, the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is. All of the world’s hottest peppers are under 3″ long.

11. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the “Red Savina” habanero as the hottest pepper in the world. It measured a whopping 577,000 Scoville Units.

12. A scientific journal recently reported that drinking 1-1/2 quarts of Louisiana hot sauce, if you weigh 140 pounds or less, will cause death by respiratory failure.

13. In 1493 Christopher Columbus discovered chile peppers in America.

14. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their heat, has been associated with many cures that include warding off strokes and heart attacks, lowering blood pressure, speeding up metabolism, reducing cholesterol, treating colds, preventing cancer and pain management.

15. Ounce for ounce, chilies have more vitamin C than oranges.

16. Chile peppers can help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism.

17. Capsaicin (C18,H27NO3) is a colorless, pungent, crystalline compound.

18. Chile peppers contain more vitamin A than carrots and are low in calories.

19. Hot peppers add flavor to foods which makes it easier to stick to a healthy diet.

20. Chile peppers are known to reduce many harmful bacteria on foods.

21. Hot peppers can help curb your appetite – especially for sweets and fatty foods.

22. The ancient Mayans rubbed chile peppers on their gums to cure toothaches.

23. One out of every four people throughout the world eat chile peppers daily.

24. Two of the founding fathers of our country, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, are both known to have grown chile peppers.

25. The heat from a hot pepper is concentrated in the interior veins or ribs, not in the seeds as is commonly believed.

(from HotSauce101.com)

Too Hot To Handle?

If you are ever in need of toning down the heat, here are some ways to cool things down:

1) Keep on chowing down the hot stuff. You can build up your tolerance to capsaicin just by eating more and more spicy dishes.

2) Quaff beer. Some experts, especially beer lovers, swear by the cooling properties of beer, which they say actually works better against the capsaicin than water. That’s because capsaicin is an oil so either alcohol or fat (see below about drinking milk) can cut through it, whereas water won’t kill the burn.

3) Drink milk or slurp up some yogurt. Milk and other dairy products cut the heat because of their fat. Indians often make yogurt-based sauces called raitas, which you can apply to a curry to tone it down.

4) Serve a starchy side dish such as fried plantains, bananas, rice, beans or bread. They will soak up the spice and bring you some relief.

5) Just a spoonful of sugar or a sugary condiment like a sweet mango chutney will lessen the heat.                                                           

(from HotSauce101.com)

Hot sauce can put a fire in your belly and leave your eyes crying for more. Now, capsaicin—the active principle that gives chili peppers their punch—is knocking out knee pain.

At age 71 Ron Johnson says his knee is in better shape than it was in his fifties. That pain limited his work as a funeral director.

“One of the things that bothered me the most was limping down the aisle of a church funeral trying to push the casket,” says Johnson.

But there is a spicy new treatment that used Adlea, an ultra-purified form of capsaicin. Doctor Birbera injects it into a patient’s knee to relieve pain.

“It allows the entry of calcium which de-sensitizes the nerve for the prolonged period of time,” Dr. Birbera says.

Doctors say capsaicin binds to specific receptors on nerves responsible for pain. When the cells open, extra calcium enters and the nerves become overwhelmed and shut down, thus numbing the pain from several weeks to months.

“What we are looking at here is a very targeted therapy,” says Birbera.

Doctors say because capsaicin pinpoints the pain, patients are reporting few major side effects except the initial burning sensation when first injected.

But that’s it’s heat that’s making the hurt go away.

Doctors are also studying Adlea for surgical pain.

Initial reports suggest pain is improved and patients may need less pain medication afterwards.

But Adlea is not FDA approved and doctors are still testing to see just how long the pain is relieved.

Hot sauce can put a fire in your belly and leave your eyes crying for more. Now, capsaicin—the active principle that gives chili peppers their punch—is knocking out knee pain.

At age 71 Ron Johnson says his knee is in better shape than it was in his fifties. That pain limited his work as a funeral director.

“One of the things that bothered me the most was limping down the aisle of a church funeral trying to push the casket,” says Johnson.

But there is a spicy new treatment that used Adlea, an ultra-purified form of capsaicin. Doctor Birbera injects it into a patient’s knee to relieve pain.

“It allows the entry of calcium which de-sensitizes the nerve for the prolonged period of time,” Dr. Birbera says.

Doctors say capsaicin binds to specific receptors on nerves responsible for pain. When the cells open, extra calcium enters and the nerves become overwhelmed and shut down, thus numbing the pain from several weeks to months.

“What we are looking at here is a very targeted therapy,” says Birbera.

Doctors say because capsaicin pinpoints the pain, patients are reporting few major side effects except the initial burning sensation when first injected.

But that’s it’s heat that’s making the hurt go away.

Doctors are also studying Adlea for surgical pain.

Initial reports suggest pain is improved and patients may need less pain medication afterwards.

But Adlea is not FDA approved and doctors are still testing to see just how long the pain is relieved.

  Salsa Grows as Condiment and Healthy Side Dish                 by:  Karen Collins, R.D.

Salsa has become a more popular condiment than ketchup, according to some sales reports. Most say this points to Americans’ growing love of hot and spicy foods and interest in ethnic foods. Salsa can also help us meet the goal of working more fruits and vegetables into a healthful and delicious diet.

Salsa actually means sauce, and traditionally has referred to a very specific combination of tomatoes, onions, cilantro and spice from chili peppers. Originally we reserved it for Mexican food and as a dip for chips. In recent years, however, Americans have been using it as a condiment almost any place they would put ketchup: on burgers, baked potatoes, eggs and other foods.

During this time, innovative cooks have been changing our definition of what makes salsa. It can be cooked or uncooked (“fresh”). Popular salsa recipes on cooking Web sites and television shows now combine vegetables and fruits − and may even omit tomatoes. Examples include black beans, sweet red pepper and hot chili pepper with orange and avocado; peach, cucumber and lime; mango and avocado with cilantro; and pineapple, corn and mango.

With a wider range of what constitutes salsa, it becomes suitable for chicken, seafood, and bean dishes, as well as on cooked whole grains from brown rice to quinoa.

Savory side dish
And if we shift from a small amount used as a flavoring, to a half-cup portion, it adds an extra serving of vegetable or fruit to our daily tally. A tablespoon of a condiment, whether ketchup or salsa, cannot supply a very large amount of nutrients, no matter what the ingredients. But in larger portions, the various vegetables and fruits in salsa can supply a wide range of antioxidant vitamins, natural phytochemicals (such as lycopene in tomatoes), and the mineral potassium that is in such short supply in our diets.

“Dressings and sauces that are full of fat are the undoing of many an otherwise healthy meal. That’s why we included three salsa recipes and even a salad with salsa for dressing in The New American Plate Cookbook,” notes Jeff Prince, Vice President for the American Institute for Cancer Research. “Our cookbook shows people they do not need to choose between food that promotes good health and food that is absolutely delicious. Salsa adds an extra serving of fruits or vegetables and lots of flavor to your meal.”

Wide range of salsas
Check the grocery store or look at various Web sites and you will see an unbelievably wide range of salsas. But don’t stop there. You can make a batch of uncooked salsa in 15 minutes with the combination of produce and flavorings that suits your taste for hotness.

You don’t save on calories by making your own, because most commercial salsas don’t contain added fat and only use small amounts of sugar.

Nutrition Notes is provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C.