Boost heart health with Tunisian chili pepper paste, harissa

REV up your heart health with this exotic ‘spice trick’

The mainstream is finally coming around.

Even they admit that if you want to keep your heart healthy, your first line of defense should be eating the right diet.

But if THEY had THEIR way, you’d have to GIVE UP salt… fat… animal proteins… and everything else that actually makes food taste GOOD!

Fortunately, there’s an UNSUNG HERO among our veggie crops – a red “garden secret” that can help keep your ticker in tip-top shape.

It can REPAIR heart damage and even keep your heart from FAILING… all while delivering a FLAVOR BOMB.

It’s red peppers!

Specifically, it’s chili peppers – the ones that can spice up a bland meal and make even the most sluggish heart beat a little faster.

Don’t worry about them being “too hot” for your delicate palate…

Because the Mediterranean has got a mild way of serving these chilis that actually MAXIMIZES their heart benefits!

Add some caliente into your cuisine

Harissa is a culinary chili paste found in North African countries along the Mediterranean Sea.

It’s so popular, it’s considered the national condiment of Tunisia!

You’ll find it on nearly every table… and served at nearly every meal (even breakfast).

But peppers don’t come from that area of the world.

The Spanish had found them in Mexico… and brought them to the Barbary Coast during their brief conquest of Tunisia in the 16th century.

This is NOT your typical “hot sauce”…

Because makers of harissa CRAM as many heart-boosting red chili peppers (Capsicum annuum) into this paste as they can.

And the peppers they use — like the traditional Tunisian “Baklouti” pepper – are rich in vitamins B6, C, E, and K, as well as minerals copper, iron, and manganese.

Of course, the standout component to ANY pepper is the alkaloid capsaicin.

It’s what gives peppers their “heat”… and its “burn” has shown to alleviate joint and muscle pain when applied topically.

But when you eat it, that capsaicin can stimulate your heart AND help maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Red peppers are also PACKED with heart-protecting carotenoids — like lycopene, which also gives tomatoes their bright red color.

And lycopene is one of the most cardioprotective nutrients there is.

You could never eat enough fresh pepper to get the amount of CONCENTRATED capsaicin and lycopene that’s STUFFED into harissa.

But that’s not all…

Because this Tunisian pepper paste ALSO contains even MORE heart heroes, like:

olive oil
coriander seed
cumin,
caraway, and
garlic

All told, harissa is an anti-inflammatory SUPERHERO that protects your heart from damage AND failure.

And while it packs a HUGE flavor punch… it’s got practically ZERO calories.

A little goes a long way – so add it sparingly to your soups, stews, meats, and even eggs.

Some commercially prepared versions (especially if not exported from Tunisia) may contain added sugar to offset the heat of the peppers.

To minimize the glycemic impact of harissa, you can make your own. Plenty of recipes are available online.

Or, you can supplement with capsaicin, lycopene, and many other heart-boosting nutrients on their own.

Look for them in the supplement aisle or at your local health food store.