Email this article to a friend Printable Version FREE Email Newsletter
According to new research, the chili pepper has been found to be the oldest spice in use in the Americas, and one of the oldest in the world. Described in a February 2006 report in the journal Science, the research findings provide details about early plant cultivation and the use of chili peppers for food and ceremonial purposes.
Jump directly to: conventional view | alternative view | bottom line
What you need to know - Conventional View• Peppers are in the botanical family Solanaceae, an edible family flowering plants like tomatoes, eggplant and tobacco.
• The research shows that the study of microscopic starch granules stuck in the crevices of cooking implements and in bowl-scrapings can reveal foods that originally weren't thought to have enough starch in them to be traceable.
• "The usual idea is that the tropical lowlands were mostly on the receiving end, that they were not areas of innovation. Now our findings are beginning to cast doubt on that," said J. Scott Raymond, an archaeologist at the University of Calgary.
• Chili peppers are thought to have been domesticated at least five times by prehistoric peoples in different parts of South, Central and North America.
• Chili peppers have been part of the human diet in the Americas since about 7500 BC.
• Evidence of chili peppers at archealogical sites in the Americas show they may have been domesticated over 6,000 years ago.
• Within decades of European contact, the New World chili pepper was carried across Europe and into Africa and Asia, adopted widely, and further altered through selective breeding.
• They are now grown around the world and are widely used as medicine, and as or vegetables in cuisine. The chili pepper is an essential cooking ingredient in places as diverse as Hungary, Ethiopia, and China.
What you need to know - Alternative ViewStatements and opinions by Mike Adams, executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center
• Chili peppers offer truly powerful medicine for boosting circulation, dilating blood vessels, enhancing oxygenation of tissues and protecting the cardiovascular system.
• For as long as chili peppers have been cultivated for food, they've also been used as medicine around the world. South American Indians, North American Indians and even Asian cultures all prized chili peppers for their observable medicinal effects.
Bottom line• Chili peppers may be the oldest spice in use in the Americas, according to starch granule research.
Get articles like this delivered to you FREE in our popular email newsletter
|

(FREE) Thursday evening, Dec. 3 at 6pm Pacific (9pm Eastern), call in to hear the NaturalNews Talk Hour with special guests Nick Stern, Sun Warrior Protein & KC Craichy, LivingFuel - "Super Foods, Optimal Health" - Register via email to receive call-in number:
|
|
 Explore NaturalPedia.com, the internet's largest natural health encyclopedia of knowledge, covering over 50,000 topics. It's free! Visit NaturalPedia.com.
|
FREE Report: The Five Best Anti-Viral Products to Beat Influenza, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and SARS
• Top anti-viral remedies
• Where to get them now
• Four things to avoid
• Become self-reliant
• Boost your family safety
Click here to read the FREE report now.
|
W.H.O. Declares Global Pandemic Turn FEAR into Confidence!
Listen to the complete 3.5 hour recording on 4 audio CDs of the Health Ranger's Swine Flu Advanced Preparedness Course, covering natural anti-virals, family safety, infrastructure disruptions, quarantine, preparedness gear and much more.
Testimonials:
"Mike Adams' preparedness course turned our fears into confidence. This is POWERFUL information, coming from a trusted source. If you want to save yourself countless hours researching and getting prepared and if you want to do everything in your power to protect your family, I highly recommend the Health Ranger’s Advanced Preparedness Course."
- N. Nelson (Arizona)
"This is packed information no one should miss."
- T. Valenzuela
"Thanks Mike... during this class you covered prevention and preparedness from A to Z with integrity, brave honesty and outstanding knowledge! Thank you for your steadfast, thorough and cool-headed approach to well being. With deep gratitude for your service." - Bev
Available NOW for immediate shipping.
100% satisfaction guarantee
NEW Product: Valley of Longevity Shampoo from the Health Ranger
• 98% Organic
• 100% Natural
• 100% Fragrance Free!
• No SLS
• No Parabens
• No synthetic chemicals
• FREE shipping in U.S. on orders over $75
Click here to read more...
|
|
|