The potent power of peppers

Spicy chili peppers and sweet red, orange, yellow and green peppers add zest and colour to your favourite dish while offering protection against heart disease, vision loss and nasal congestion. Here's what you need to know and ways to get more into your diet.

Here is what is in peppers that make them so healthy:

• Beta-carotene: This antioxidant pigment may help prevent eye diseases, certain cancers and heart disease. Red peppers are particularly rich in beta-carotene
• Capsaicin: This pungent chemical, which supplies the "heat" in chili peppers, may ease congestion by increasing secretions in the nose and airways. Studies suggest that capsaicin may also detoxify cancer-causing compounds and encourage cancer-cell death. The hotter the chili pepper, the greater the capsaicin content.
• Chlorophyll: Preliminary research suggests that this plant compound may stop healthy cells from mutating into cancerous cells and may protect against environmental carcinogens.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin: A diet rich in lutein and its antioxidant partner, zeaxanthin, may protect against certain forms of cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration and possibly cataracts. A 250 gram (one cup) serving of diced fresh red peppers offers tremendous quantities of lutein, while orange peppers are a top source of zeaxanthin.
• Vitamin C: Peppers are a major source of this essential vitamin, which may enhance our defence against respiratory ailments. The combined antioxidant power of beta-carotene and vitamin C in peppers may help to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. A serving of 250 grams (one cup) of fresh sweet peppers supplies even more vitamin C (133 milligrams) than 250 millilitres (one cup) of fresh orange juice (82 milligrams).

• Eat raw peppers for vitamin C, since this vitamin is easily destroyed by heat.
• Cook peppers until they are crisp-tender, and eat with a little monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, to maximize the beta-carotene content.

• Fill sweet pepper wedges with bean puree and serve as an appetizer.
• Add roasted, peeled red peppers and spicy chipotle peppers to mashed potatoes for a side dish. Or thin the potato-pepper mixture with milk to make a soup.
• Add diced chili peppers to muffins or cornbread.
• Puree homemade or bottled roasted red peppers with a little tomato paste, garlic, salt and pepper, and serve as a vegetable dip. Or thin the mixture with a little olive oil and use as a pasta sauce.
• Make a hot-and-sweet pepper salsa. Mince red, green and orange peppers along with chili peppers (jalapeño, chipotle); add minced red onion, vinegar and cilantro. Serve the salsa with meat or poultry, or toss it with freshly cooked pasta.

The potency of peppers to your health can't be overlooked. Whether raw or cooked, these vegetables will add taste and vitality.