Peppers in the Mexican Culture Chili peppers are a member of the Capsicum food group; the principal pigment is chlorophylls a and b (chlorophylls are "a complex macrocyclic compounds with an extensive system of conjugated double bonds") (Roth, 2014). There are 27 different species of Capsicum. The hot taste comes from alkaloid chemicals (capsaicinoids -- capsaicin C18H27NO3).

On January 1, 1493, Christopher Columbus was exploring the north coast of what is today Haiti when he found a plant that he figured must be related to the black pepper. He wrote in his log: "This pepper that local Indians use as seasoning grows everywhere here and is more valuable than black pepper or melegueta pepper" (Roth, p. 1). Columbus brought chili peppers to Europe and they were widely dispersed into Asia. Benefits: rich in vitamins A and C; carotene is an antioxidant that helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood (Timbrook).

Three / Four: Jan Timbrook of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History explains that chili peppers "first evolved south of Amazonia, they have been found in cultural deposits more than 9000 years old in the Tehucan Valley, Mexico" (Timbrook, 2010). Still, research shows that Columbus was responsible for bringing peppers to Europe well before the conquistadors attacked the Aztecs and Mayas, so the Spanish conquistadors may have also brought some species of peppers with them. Birds are known to have dispersed the seeds of peppers throughout the Americas. Timbrook explains that "humans helped spread [peppers] into Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean." The research by phys.org shows residues of capsicum in ancient Mexican pottery that is over 2,000 years old (southern Mexico).

Five / Six: The region today is called Mexico. If the research...

That is, peppers may have been used for culinary, pharmaceutical, or ritual purposes thousands of years ago. They may have made "spicy beverages thousands of years ago" (phys.org).
Seven: the health benefits include: reduced cancer risk; slowing aging; DNA repair; prevention of high blood pressure, stroke, migraine headaches, epileptic seizures, osteoporosis, and Type II Diabetes; chili peppers contain Vitamins A, B6, B9, C, and K, plus iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium A serving of 100g is 40 calories, with 3% of (daily need of) carbohydrates and 6% dietary fiber (www.healthconsciousness.com).

Eight: One important social significance (fighting cancer) credited for chili peppers is explained by the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles: the capsaicin has had a "profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture"; it has been shown to "dramatically" slow the development of tumors in the prostate (http://ushotstuff.com).

Nine: No interruptions in usage are mentioned in the literature although many new applications for chili peppers have been introduced for medical and nutritional uses (see answers above for the evolution of medical and nutritional uses)

Ten: As to "climate interruptions," chili peppers grow in any climate but they are hotter when grown in hot climates and are not given too much water.

Eleven: It would be impossible to account for the number of millions of people around the planet that use chili peppers. A guess would be many millions,…