Cayenne pepper, or Capsicum, is a popular spice in many ethnic foods. It is also just as important as a natural healing medicinal herb. Many people take cayenne pepper, often in the form of pills, to assist with dyspepsia. It has shown itself effective in reducing the pain associated with the condition. It can also help rebuild stomach tissue and aid the body in the production of hydrochloric acid, which is naturally in the stomach to support digestion actions.
Cayenne pepper is also extremely good for the cardiovascular system. It has been demonstrated to help lower blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure and has been seen to assist with clotting action due to the way it equalizes the blood pressure in the victim. It increases the hearts capabilities to pump blood through the cardiovascular system and even maintains internal organs by invigorating them, thereby increasing the organs’ production of necessary bodily hormones and chemicals. It has even had several claims made for it from heart attack victims, in the form of the extract, who swear it virtually stopped their heart attacks.
This wonderful pepper is also find use as one of the few home remedies for pain. It has been used extensively to relieve back pain when missed in with a poultice or a plaster. It has also recently been proven to help fight severe headaches when inhaled into the nose in small quantities.
Most often cayenne pepper is used in natural healing with coughs and colds. Mixed into a tea with a few other ingredients it can reduce stuffiness, slow or stop coughs, relieve sore throats, and relieve sinus pain. It is also helpful with colds to relieve low-grade fevers due to its sweat inducing properties.
Individuals with arthritis, or who do a lot of work with their hands, are great advocators of cayenne pepper. They use it, generally in the form of a cream or liniment, as a rub for their stiff or achy hands. The resin within the pepper causes the body to react creating heat on the affected area. The nerve endings in this area react to the resin producing a chemical that creates the feeling of heat. Once this chemical is completely used up, the nerves are unable to tell the brain that there is still pain in that area of the body until the nerves can create more of that particular chemical.
Cayenne pepper is also used as one of several home remedies to assist in weight loss. It is believed that by aiding in digestion it helps to control appetite.Often it is included in diet aids, but people have found that including it in their recipes it will have the same effect.
