Cayenne pepper is a powerful spice. An herbalist doctor I came across, The Homegrown Herbalist, Dr. Patrick Jones, would choose it if he could only use one herb. He is also a veterinarian and has used it on animals to bring them back to life when near the end and their gums are white. He also puts it on wounds to stop the bleeding. I have cut my finger a few times in the kitchen, put a little cayenne pepper directly on it and sure enough the bleeding stopped. These were minor cuts, but they did stop bleeding pretty quick after applying the cayenne pepper.
Years ago, I read that cayenne pepper is great for the heart. It was recommended to user cayenne pepper when having a heart attack by drinking a glass of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Not sure it works, but is certainly worth trying before heading to the ER. Whenever I have anything that feels off in the chest, a little cayenne pepper usually helps it.
Cayenne contains a compound called capsaicin that makes them hot. The Scoville scale ranks peppers on their heat. Cayenne falls around 30,000 to 50,000 which is much hotter than a jalapeno, but a lot cooler than Pepper X which is the hottest pepper at 3,180,000.
Cayenne peppers contain Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin K. Fresh peppers are the optimal source as they contain more nutrients than dried or powdered cayenne pepper. The seed company I buy from has cayenne pepper seeds that I will have to try growing next summer.
Cayenne pepper improves circulation, protects against inflammation and helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It aids in digestion by improving the microbiome and helping break down food by increasing gastric juices and enzyme production in the stomach. Cayenne increases metabolism which may help with weight loss. It helps prevent blood clots, clear congestion and possibly reduce headache pain.
Cayenne pepper can be eaten in food, added to drinks. Sometimes I just put it directly on the tongue or sprinkle some in a cup of green tea. Dr. Josh Axe has a secret detox drink recipe that is pretty potent.
It makes 2 cups, so I usually make this smaller batch:
8 ounces of warm or hot water
1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 dash cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon raw, local honey
Challenge:
Try incorporating cayenne pepper in your diet every day. Get a good, high quality, organic brand. Use the above drink recipe or make it easy and add it to something you currently consume every day, like a cup of tea or coffee or on food like a salad, soup or meat.
Resources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cayenne-pepper-benefits/
https://draxe.com/nutrition/cayenne-pepper-benefits/