Birds eye chilli - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Bird’s Eye Chilli, also known as Thai chilli or Capsicum frutescens, is a fiery little wonder that packs an intense heat punch despite its small size. Native to Southeast Asia, this vibrant chilli is not only a staple in regional cuisines but also a powerhouse of health benefits. Rich in capsaicin, antioxidants, and essential vitamins, Bird’s Eye Chilli has earned its place in both culinary and medicinal traditions. Its bold flavor and health-promoting properties make it an exciting addition to any kitchen.

What are bird’s eye chilli?

Bird's-eye chiles are red peppers that are small, thin, and pointy. They are green when they are not ready to eat, but you can still eat them. When they are ready, they can be orange or purple. In Thai food, green peppers are often used in green curries, while red peppers that are more mature and hotter are used in red curries. When they are fresh, they often still have a stem and have loose, spicy seeds that you can eat. The peppers are cheap because they don't weigh much, and you can use them whole, cut up, or remove the seeds and dice them.

How to use bird’s eye chilli in cooking?

Bird's eye chile peppers are used a lot in the cooking of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Salads, stir-fries, curries, sauces, sambals, soups, and marinades all use fresh or dried chiles. The stems are cut off, and the chiles can be left whole, sliced, diced, chopped, or pureed. The seeds are especially hot, but you can take them out if you want less heat.

If you wear contact lenses, you might want to wear gloves when you work with these chiles. The chemical in pepper that makes it hot, called capsaicin, can stay on your fingers for a few hours and really hurt when you touch your face, especially around your eyes. To avoid extra pain, wear gloves and clean the knife, surfaces, and anything else the cut chiles touched before taking them out.

How does bird’s eye chilli taste like?

Bird's eye chiles are loved for their intense heat and fruity, peppery flavour. On the Scoville scale, these small peppers have between 50,000 and 100,000 Scoville units. That's 10 times as hot as a jalapeno but only half as hot as a habanero. The spice can sneak up on you because a mature red bird's eye chile's heat builds up as you eat the dish and stays with you for a long time after you're done.

How to store bird’s eye chilli?

Fresh peppers can be kept for up to two weeks in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Don't rinse them until you're ready to use them so you don't add moisture and speed up decay. Bird's-eye chiles can be kept for a long time by being pickled or dried. The peppers could be frozen, however, the walls of the small peppers are very thin, it's not a good idea.

When properly canned, dried chiles and pickled peppers can last up to a year at room temperature.

Health benefits of bird’s eye chilli:

1. Aids Digestion

If you keep having trouble with your stomach, you might want to try bird's eye chilli. It  helps digestion by making more enzymes and gastric acid.

So, bird's eye chilli helps the body digest food in this way. If you can't get gas out of your body, you can also use chilli powder, which triggers gastric peristaltic movements to help the body absorb and get rid of gas.

2. Helps lose weight faster

People on a diet can add bird's eye chilli to their plan, but they should only eat a small amount. Bird's eye chilli not only helps with digestion, but it also helps with weight loss by burning fat cells.

3. Treats diseases

Bird's eye chilli is good for your health in many ways. It kills fungi and treats infections, which can prevent more diseases caused by infections.

4. Eases pain in joints

Capsaicin not only makes food taste hot, but it also helps heal and calm joint pain. Capsaicin works to stop seizures by making muscles less tense.

5. Anti-Cancer

Chilies have the remarkable ability to target and eliminate cancer cells in the body without harming healthy ones. This incredible benefit is attributed to capsaicin, a bioactive compound found in chilies. However, it is important to consume them in moderation to harness their benefits effectively.

6. Makes the heart work better and keeps it healthy

High blood pressure is a major contributor to heart attacks, but incorporating bird's eye chili into your diet can help prevent them. Over time, it aids in reducing bad cholesterol and triglycerides, promoting better heart health. Additionally, it helps lower the risk of heart attacks by dilating and improving blood flow through the arteries leading to the heart.

7. Helps fight stroke

Chili’s ability to enhance blood flow may reduce the risk of a stroke, which occurs when blood vessels in the brain become blocked or blood clots form.

8. Increases appetite

The increased production of endorphins from eating bird's-eye chili can boost your appetite, making you feel hungrier and eat more. Capsaicin plays a key role in stimulating the production of these endorphins.

9. Maintains Immunity

The vitamin C in bird's eye chilli helps keep the body from getting sick. In the long run, immunity is guaranteed and the body is well protected from diseases.

10. Reduces Fungi on Skin

Capsaicin also helps reduce and get rid of fungi on human skin and rashes in general, since the rash is caused by the fungi.

11. Helps with headaches

Bird's-eye chilli helps send pain signals to different parts of the body. This tells the brain to focus on something else instead of the pain in the body. So, if you have a headache, which is also shown by mucus coming out of your nose, try eating something with chilli on it.

12. Acts as an Anti-Inflammatory Agent

Because it has anti-inflammatory properties, it is also a great herbal treatment for diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis, and nerve damage caused by herpes.

13. Helps get rid of toxins

Bird's eye chilli can help the body get rid of toxins by making it warm and sweat. You can even eat the chilli with honey and lemon juice in the morning to help your body get rid of toxins all over.

14. Increase saliva levels

Bird's-eye chilli makes you salivate more, which also speeds up your metabolism. Saliva levels have been used as a way to measure the health of the digestive system and to keep the mouth healthy.

15. Helps keep blood from clotting

Cardiac arrest, which can lead to a stroke, is caused not only by blocked arteries, but also by blood clots that make the blood flow in the body uneven. Atherosclerosis can be slowed down with the help of chilli powders.

16. Helps in hair growth

The bird's-eye chili stimulates airflow on the scalp. When airflow is reduced, it can lead to hair loss, eventually resulting in baldness.

17. Stops the rise of blood pressure

Bird's-eye chilli can help keep the blood healthy, for example by getting rid of high blood pressure. Capsaicin makes sure that blood flows freely through the whole body, so that blood doesn't build up and block the heart's arteries.

18. Gets Rid of High Fever

The plant can be used for more than just the chilli that is eaten. One of the health benefits is that it can bring down a fever. It works best when mixed with other herbs like lettuce oil and put on the whole body or just the forehead.

19. Heals Flu

The capsaicin in bird's eye chilli can also be used to treat flu and other illnesses that make it hard to breathe through the nose. This is because capsaicin can loosen mucus so that it comes out easily and in a watery form.

20. Keeps eyes healthy

The vitamin B2 in bird's eye chilli keeps your eyes healthy, lowers your risk of getting an eyesore, and makes your eyesight better. Bird's eye chilli is good for your eyes in the same way that carrots are, but don't eat too much chilli.

Conclusion:

Bird’s Eye Chilli is much more than just a spice that adds heat to your dishes; it’s a nutritional gem with remarkable health benefits. From boosting metabolism and aiding digestion to providing anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, this tiny chilli has much to offer. Whether you're using it to spice up your meals or as a natural remedy, Bird’s Eye Chilli stands out as a versatile and beneficial ingredient. Incorporating this chilli into your diet can bring both flavor and wellness to your life.