Banana pepper, also known as Banana Supreme, Yellow wax pepper, Inferno, Biscayne, Banana chili, Cubanelle, Aruba, Anaheim, Giant Marconi, Ooty Chile, and Gypsy is a kind of chili pepper which came into existence from South America. This cultivar produces the fruit in multiple colors, including red, green, orange, and bright yellow. Banana pepper is five times milder than Jalapeno pepper.
Banana pepper grows up to one to five feet high and does well in warm climates in well-drained soils. Fruits are long, narrow, tapering with curve shaped or resembles a banana which is around four to six inches long. It is of mild and tangy flavor, having a range of Scoville units from 0–500.
Banana Peppers Nutrition
| Banana peppers are hot and sweet, which is high in vitamin content, fiber, and also low in calories. Banana peppers have the right amount of folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, which are crucial for maintaining heart health and minimize the chances of certain cancers. Banana pepper helps to preserve the health of our tendons, bones, ligaments, and blood vessels. It acts as an antioxidant to prevent cancer.
Due to the small number of calories, fat, and sodium, Banana peppers are considered as great weight-loss diets. They possess an adequate amount of potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. Banana peppers can be added to the light salads to make them more filling. |
Calories in Banana Peppers
| A single 33 grams pepper contains just 0.15 grams of fat and nine calories. This means that it can be included as a part of a healthy diet and is not likely to cause weight gain. |
Health Benefits of Banana Pepper
Banana pepper is low in calories and fat, which makes it desirable in a diet. It also promotes digestion, blood pressure, and blood circulation. The presence of Vitamin A and Vitamin C strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
1. Absorbs Minerals
The body must absorb the nutrients for the functioning of the body efficiently. The digestive system should be able to absorb the nutrients from the food that we take and incorporate them into the bloodstream. When the cells absorb the vitamins and nutrients, the body would be able to reduce the inflammation and progress of the disease. The intake of iron with Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron in adults and children.
2. Reduce Gout
Vitamin C is associated with reducing the chances of Gout, which afflicts a big toe. The big toe becomes painful, inflamed, and stiff, which results in the excess uric acid that leads to forming crystals in joints. A study shows that taking 1000-1499 mg of Vitamin C helps to minimize the chances of Gout by 31% in comparison to those who did not take the supplements(1).
3. Prevent Arthritis
The lower levels of Vitamin B6 are related to increasing the chances of rheumatoid arthritis. The studies show that arthritis patients need more amount of Vitamin B6 in comparison to healthy ones because they experience continuous joint strain and muscle aches, which is caused due to chronic inflammation(2). Vitamin B6 helps to control the pain and aches in the joints and muscles caused due to arthritis.
4. Promotes Mood
A study shows(3) that Vitamin B6 has a vital impact on the production of both serotonin and GABA neurotransmitters in the brain. These neurotransmitters help to regulate the mood and minimize pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Vitamin B6 is related to preventing mood disorders and increasing mood.
Vitamin B6 involves in the generation of hormones and effectively treats mood disorders and brain diseases. The study demonstrates that the intake of Vitamin B6 helps to reduce the pain, avoid lack of energy, uplift the mood; as well as concentration.
5. Blood Vessel Disease
Vitamin B6 is needed to regulate the homocysteine levels in the blood, which is accomplished from the intake of protein sources such as meat. The high amount of homocysteine levels in the blood is linked with inflammation and the development of heart disease and blood vessel disease, which may lead to a heart attack.
The homocysteine levels build in the absence of Vitamin B6, which damages the linings of the blood vessel. This can lead to the harmful pileup of plaque that leads to a heart attack or stroke. The intake of folate with Vitamin B6 helps to repair the damage and reduce the homocysteine levels. Vitamin B6 also helps to manage the level of cholesterol and blood pressure, which helps to prevent heart disease.
6. Eliminates Free Radicals
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that avoids the damage caused by pollutants, free radicals, and toxic chemicals. The accumulation of free radicals contributes to the growth of health ailments such as heart disease, arthritis, and cancer. Free radicals form when exposed to smoke, tobacco, and radiation or when the body breaks down the food.
7. Brain Health
The study shows that the insufficient amount of copper impacts on brain pathways such as dopamine and galactose. It is essential for maintaining mood, energy, outlook, and focus—the low amount of copper results in fatigue, low metabolic activity, concentration problems, and poor attitude(4).
Copper helps to utilize antioxidants such as vitamin C, ascorbate oxidase, superoxide, and tyroinase. These help to eradicate the free radical damage and slows down the process of aging that leads to cancer, signs of aging, and degenerative neuro disease.
8. Thyroid Functions
Copper is crucial for the thyroid function because it combines with minerals such as potassium, calcium, and zinc, which helps to prevent hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and balance the thyroid activities. As the relationship between trace minerals is complex, the rise in one should be balanced by others. Due to the undue deficiency of these minerals in the body, one could suffer from thyroid. This can contribute to weight loss or gain, fatigue, change in appetite, and body temperature.
9. Assist Digestion
Both fibers are essential for digestion. Insoluble fiber is vital because it provides bulk to a stool. Insoluble fiber also fastens the time required to pass the waste from the digestive tract, which helps to prevent constipation, indigestion, and bloating. Soluble fiber assists in absorbing the water to convert into a gelatinous and viscous substance that helps in digestion. One should take ample amounts of water when having a fiber-rich diet.
