MANILA, 27 May 2008 — Move over big red pepper. The Philippine variety of red-hot chili — the smaller and the hotter it is — has been discovered to contain nutrients that reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataract and macular degeneration.
Locally known as “siling labuyo” because of its strong, hot taste that Filipinos relate to the brave variety of red rooster, it is a common spice not only in the Philippines but also in other Asian countries such as the Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, India and the Middle East.
Dr. Evelyn Rodriguez, professor from the Institute of Chemistry at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB), disclosed the healing properties of “siling labuyo” in a seminar on indigenous plants for health and wellness at the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) recently.
Also known as the chili pepper, “siling labuyo” is among the indigenous plants that the Department of Agriculture (DA) promotes through the Indigenous Plants for Health and Wellness RDE Program of BAR. They said program aims to promote and highlight the importance of indigenous plants and its products. The fruit of “siling-labuyo” is popularly used as a spicy and chili condiment while its leaves are usually consumed as vegetables for chicken “tinola” soup.
“Phytochemicals are what people need to stay healthy,” Rodriguez stressed in her presentation. Phytochemicals are chemical compounds that occur in fruits, vegetables and other plant species eaten by man. These naturally occurring compounds, which act as anti-oxidants, are capable of metabolizing free radicals in the body that can cause cell death. In chili pepper, carotenoids and phenolic acids are the phytochemicals that can be derived from its leaves and fruits.
