Therapeutic Uses
May Boost Your Metabolism – The capsaicin in cayenne peppers has metabolism-boosting properties. It helps increase the amount of heat your body produces, making you burn more calories per day. It does this through a process called diet-induced thermogenesis, which causes an increase in your metabolism. In one study, people who ate a breakfast containing capsaicin and medium-chain triglyceride oil burned 51% more calories during that meal, compared to people who had neither for breakfast. But while capsaicin helps boost metabolism, the overall effect is small. In another study, people who ate 1 gram of red cayenne pepper only burned 10 more calories over four and a half hours, compared to those who didn’t eat any cayenne pepper. It’s also important to know that people who regularly consume cayenne peppers don’t continue to reap the same benefits from them over time, as their bodies adapt to the effects.
Can Help Reduce Hunger – Interestingly, cayenne peppers may reduce your hunger, helping you eat less and feel fuller for longer. Many studies show the capsaicin in cayenne peppers helps reduce hunger. How it does this is not completely understood, but one study showed that it reduces the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin. One study showed that people taking capsaicin ate less food throughout the day than those who didn’t take any. Specifically, those taking capsaicin supplements ate 10% less, while those who drank a capsaicin-containing beverage ate 16% less. People in the same study also reported feeling fuller, while eating fewer calories.
May Lower Blood Pressure – High blood pressure is a huge health risk worldwide. In fact, over 40% of adults over 25 have high blood pressure. Interestingly, animal studies have shown that the capsaicin in cayenne peppers may reduce high blood pressure. One study in mice with high blood pressure showed that the long-term consumption of dietary spices containing capsaicin helped reduce blood pressure. Another study showed that capsaicin helped relax blood vessels in pigs, leading to lower blood pressure. It’s important to note that the findings above are based on animals, and capsaicin’s effects may differ in humans. It is best to take these findings with a grain of salt.
May Aid Digestive Health – Dietary spices and their active components may provide many benefits for your stomach. For example, cayenne pepper may help boost the stomach’s defense against infections, increase digestive fluid production and help deliver enzymes to the stomach, aiding digestion. It does this by stimulating nerves in the stomach that signal for protection against injury. While some believe that spicy food may cause stomach ulcers, a review paper has shown that the capsaicin in cayenne peppers may actually help reduce the risk of stomach ulcers.
May Help Relieve Pain – Capsaicin has potent pain-relieving properties when applied to the skin in a cream. This is because capsaicin helps reduce the amount of substance P, a neuropeptide produced by the body that travels to the brain to signal pain. When less substance P is produced, pain signals can no longer reach the brain, and feelings of pain decrease. Capsaicin is available as a skin cream and is often recommended for the following conditions: joint and muscle pain, lower back pain, pain after surgery, and pain from nerve conditions like shingles. Additionally, it’s important to note that capsaicin cream should not be applied to an open wound or broken skin.
May Improve Psoriasis – Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which your body attacks itself. Psoriasis is an example of an autoimmune disease that appears as patches of red, itchy and scaly skin. Currently, there is no cure for psoriasis. However, capsaicin creams can help relieve itching and improve the appearance of psoriasis-affected areas. One study showed that psoriasis patients treated with capsaicin cream had significantly reduced scaling, redness and patchiness than patients who received a placebo cream. It’s believed that substance P plays a role in psoriasis. As mentioned previously, capsaicin helps reduce the amount of substance P produced by your body.
May Reduce Cancer Risk – Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrollable cell growth. The capsaicin in cayenne peppers shows promise in reducing the risk of cancer. It may do this by attacking many different pathways in the cancer cell growth process. In fact, studies have shown that capsaicin can slow the growth of cancer cells and even cause cell death for many different types of cancer, including prostate, pancreatic and skin cancer. While capsaicin’s effects on cancer cells seem promising, it’s important to note that the current findings are based on laboratory and animal studies. Capsaicin’s effects on cancer in humans has not yet been studied, so it’s wise to take this information with a grain of salt.
Medicinal Uses: *Aids Digestion *Alleviates Pain *Boosts Metabolism *Cancer *Contains Antioxidants *Nutrition *Psoriasis
Cayenne Side Effects: Side effects can include stomach irritation and upset, sweating, flushing, and runny nose. Cayenne is possibly unsafe to take by mouth in large doses or for long periods of time. In rare cases, this can lead to more serious side effects like liver or kidney damage, as well as severe spikes in blood pressure. When applied to the skin, side effects can include skin irritation, burning, and itching. Cayenne can also be extremely irritating to the eyes, nose, and throat. Don’t use cayenne on sensitive skin or around the eyes. Cayenne is possibly safe when taken by mouth, short-term during the second half of the second trimester, as well as the third trimester. If you are breast-feeding, it is possibly unsafe for your baby if you take cayenne by mouth. Skin problems (dermatitis) have been reported in breast-fed infants when mothers eat foods heavily spiced with cayenne peppers. cayenne might increase the risk of bleeding in people with bleeding disorders. Cayenne might affect blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Monitor your blood sugar closely if you take cayenne. Taking cayenne or eating a large amount of chili peppers might cause a spike in blood pressure. This might worsen the condition for people who already have high blood pressure. Cayenne might increase bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using cayenne at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Cayenne Drug Interactions: Cayenne might slow blood clotting. Taking cayenne along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Medications include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others. Cayenne can increase how much theophylline the body can absorb. Taking cayenne along with theophylline might increase the effects and side effects of theophylline.
