10 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne Pepper Sets You on FIRE – In a Good Way…
The health benefits of cayenne pepper ROCK.
Cayenne pepper packs a mega-punch in terms of spice, so you probably don’t want to walk around munching on them like biscuits.
The cayenne pepper belongs to the capsicum family and goes great with the benefits of beet juice.
There’s a whole range of uses for cayenne pepper and I’ll give you more information on that below.
First, let’s check out the health benefits of cayenne pepper.
What are the health benefits of cayenne pepper?
If you’ve tried it before, you’ll know that cayenne pepper adds spice to dishes around the world. For those who have the courage to consume it, it also provides numerous health benefits. If you don’t like spicy food, use cayenne pepper when you’re juicing for health.
The “hotness” in cayenne pepper is caused by a substance it contains called capsaicin. A whole bunch of scientific studies have found that this substance has potent pain-reducing effects and creates many of the health benefits of cayenne pepper.
Let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of cayenne pepper.
- Kick inflammation in the butt. The capsaicin in cayenne peppers has been found to inhibit a neurotransmitter associated with inflammation. The hotter the pepper, the higher the content of capsaicin. Scientists have found that capsaicin is an effective treatment for nerve disorders, including pain associated with arthritis and psoriasis.
- Boost your immune system. The bright red color of cayenne pepper is indicative of it being packed with beta-carotene, a preliminary to vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for maintaining a strong defense against infections, particularly in the nasal passages, intestinal tract and the lungs. With more vitamin A, the body is better equipped to knock back pathogens that attempt to invade. This is one of my favorite health benefits of cayenne pepper.
- Lose weight. If you eat something with cayenne pepper, your mouth will heat up like an oven, or at least it will feel like it. Fortunately, an interesting health benefit of cayenne pepper (and spicy stuff in general) is that the heat takes energy and calories for your body to produce. That’s right – just by eating spicy food (such as cayenne pepper), your body burns calories. Use it with juicing and you’ll be juicing for weight loss.
- Clear your airways. Sick of that sniffly nose? Or perhaps someone in the room keeps sniffling and you can’t focus or get anything done? Give them a hit of cayenne pepper. Capsaicin (remember? It’s the “magic” ingredient in cayenne pepper.) helps to clear mucus from your blocked nose or congested lungs. Interestingly, capsaicin is similar to one of the ingredients usually used in pharmaceutical cold remedies, except it works much faster. Next time you need to clear your nose, make a glass of tea and add a teaspoon or two of cayenne pepper to it.
- Avoid stomach ulcers. Some people believe that cayenne pepper causes stomach ulcers but this is simply not true. One of the less known health benefits of cayenne pepper is that it actually prevents stomach ulcers. It does this by killing bacteria that you may have consumed. Another benefit of cayenne pepper is that is also stimulates stomach cells to secrete protective juices that prevent ulcers from forming. Adding cayenne pepper and other spicy things to food is a great way to ensure that any bacteria in the food is killed before it is allowed to do any damage to your body.
- Increase your heart health. Cayenne peppers have been found to reduce blood cholesterol while increasing the body’s ability to manage blood clots. In cultures where people LOVE their hot food (especially cayenne pepper), they have much lower rates of heart problems than cultures that do not consume as much spicy food.
- Aid digestion. Cayenne pepper is known by many to be a great digestive aid. It stimulates digestion by increasing enzyme production which then increases metabolic action. Better digestion means the body absorbs more nutrients.
- Knock pain on the head. Studies have shown that capsaicin has a marked effect in reducing pain due to headaches and osteoarthritis pain.
- Defend against cancer. In some cases, studies have found that cayenne pepper may prevent a variety of cancers, including liver tumors and lung cancer caused by cigarette smoke.
- Make more saliva. Huh? Yep, cayenne pepper makes your mouth produce more saliva. This might sound gross but it’s actually a good thing as saliva is essential to good dental health and also aids digestion.
How to Use Cayenne Pepper
First and foremost, you can enjoy the health benefits of cayenne pepper in food. Whether you LOVE Indian food or can’t get enough of spicy stuff, find a way to incorporate more cayenne pepper into your diet.
If you don’t like the idea of eating it, try juicing it.
Another way that I mentioned above is to make a cup of tea and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to it.
Buy a container of cayenne pepper and keep it in your herb and spice rack. Start experimenting and have some fun!
Cayenne Pepper Side Effects and Cautions
Cayenne pepper is generally very safe however some problems can arise if a person uses it improperly or in excess.
Since cayenne pepper is powerful, it will inevitably cause certain reactions in the body. Often, this is the body’s way of healing, however some people mistake these symptoms as negative reactions.
With common sense, it is unlikely that cayenne pepper will prove troublesome. Do not begin taking large doses of cayenne pepper (or anything else, for that matter). Instead, it’s best to ease the body into changes in diet, gradually allowing it to adjust to larger amounts of nutrients.
Cayenne seeds should not be used as they can be toxic.
Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not take cayenne pepper. This also applies to those people who have allergic reactions to latex, bananas, kiwi fruit, chestnuts and avocado.
Lastly, don’t take cayenne pepper for a long period of time or you run the risk of damaging your liver or stomach.
The best diet is the varied diet. Change the fruits and vegetables you consume on a regular basis. Get variety!
As always, consult your doctor before making changes to your diet to ensure that the changes will be suitable for your specific level of health and fitness.
A great way to enjoy the health benefits of cayenne pepper is by mixing it with fresh vegetable juice. See below for a great recipe.
My Favorite Juicing Recipe for Cayenne Pepper
If you enjoyed this article, you’ll also enjoy:
- 13 Health Benefits of Raw Broccoli | Use Raw Broccoli to Supercharge Your Body
- The Benefits of Beet Juice are Guaranteed to Amaze
- Health Benefits of Antioxidants | Ferocious Warriors which Fight Disease
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