1. Chili pepper leaves - a vegetable with many health benefits.
- 1. Chili pepper leaves - a vegetable with many health benefits.
- 2. Some ways to use chili leaves for good health.
- 3. Some notes on using chili leaves
Currently, many varieties of chili peppers are grown in Vietnam for food. Among them, the leaves of traditional chili varieties such as bird's eye chili and chili pepper are commonly used in cooking as well as in traditional medicine. These chili varieties have relatively stable levels of bioactive compounds and have been used in folk medicine for a long time.
In traditional Chinese medicine texts, chili leaves are described as "Lạt tiêu diệp" (Bitter and slightly spicy leaves). This herb has a bitter, slightly spicy taste, a warm nature, and acts on the spleen, stomach, and liver meridians. Chili leaves are used to promote digestion, strengthen the spleen, eliminate dampness and dispel cold, detoxify, treat tumors, nourish the liver, improve eyesight, and kill germs. In traditional Chinese medicine, chili leaves are commonly used to treat the following conditions:
- Spleen and stomach deficiency with cold symptoms, poor digestion, and cold-type diarrhea.
- Treats excessive thirst.
- Edema of the cold type...
Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine uses chili leaves topically to treat boils, carbuncles, eczema, itching sores, athlete's foot, joint pain caused by cold and dampness, and snake, scorpion, and insect bites.
Chili pepper leaves have stable medicinal properties and high safety levels.
Modern studies have also found that chili leaves have a low energy density but possess an impressive nutritional content compared to other common leafy green vegetables. Chili leaves also contain many essential vitamins such as vitamins C, A, E, several B vitamins… along with many essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, zinc…
Chili leaves also contain many bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, some natural alkaloids, and small amounts of capsaicin and saponins. Notably, many studies indicate that the total content of some antioxidants and flavonoids in chili leaves is even higher than in chili fruits.
Therefore, chili leaves have many health benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory effect.
- Reduce swelling.
- Supports blood sugar control and diabetes treatment.
- Antioxidant effects.
- Naturally antibacterial and antifungal.
- Protecting the cardiovascular system and regulating blood pressure...
2. Some ways to use chili leaves for good health.
2.1 Chili leaf soup with shrimp/minced meat
Instructions: Take a handful of young chili leaves, wash them thoroughly, gently crush them, and cook them in a soup with minced lean meat or finely ground shrimp.
Benefits: Shrimp/minced meat soup with chili leaves is an easy-to-prepare dish that stimulates digestion, warms the digestive system, and cools the body during summer . According to modern medicine, this dish is excellent for supplementing iron, calcium, and vitamin C, especially for those with mild anemia or recovering from illness.
2.2 Dried chili leaf tea
Instructions: Wash fresh chili leaves thoroughly, dry them in the shade until completely dry, then store in an airtight jar. Each day, steep 5-10g in boiling water to make tea and drink after meals.
Effects: This tea has a slightly bitter taste. Laboratory studies show that chili leaf extract can inhibit the α-glucosidase enzyme, which can help slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates and the absorption of sugar after meals. This helps lower blood sugar and improve metabolic disorders, making it suitable for people at risk of diabetes or high cholesterol.
2.3 Hot compress of chili leaves to treat bone and joint pain caused by cold and dampness.
Instructions: Crush fresh chili leaves and sauté them in a pan with a little white wine. Wrap the mixture in a clean cloth and apply it as a compress to painful, cold joints or areas affected by sprains or injuries.
Effects: Applying hot chili leaves helps stimulate peripheral blood circulation, dispel cold, and is very effective in quickly relieving muscle and joint pain.
2.4 Chili leaves boiled in water can be used as a soak or wash to treat itching, fungal infections of the hands and feet, and eczema.
Instructions: Boil a handful of chili leaves with water and a teaspoon of coarse salt for 10-15 minutes. Let the water cool slightly, then use it to soak or wash the affected skin area.
3. Some notes on using chili leaves
Some plants resemble chili peppers but are poisonous; when using them, only the leaves of traditional edible chili plants such as bird's eye chili and chili pepper are used.
Never eat large quantities of raw chili leaves. Chili leaves should be eaten after cooking so that high temperatures completely destroy the bonds of anti-nutrients, releasing beneficial bioactive compounds and making them easier for the body to absorb.
Use chili leaves with caution in people with yin deficiency and excess heat, those with hemorrhoids, and those with gastritis or duodenal ulcers.
When using externally, a skin test should be performed before use, especially for people with very sensitive skin or for children. Do not apply to large open wounds or necrotic tissue.