Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum frutenscens)  -  The cayenne pepper belongs to a Capsicum family, more commonly known as chili peppers.  The pepper derived its name from a South American town that bears the same name.

History:  Cayenne pepper, as well as other chili peppers, has been cultivated for over 7,000 years in Central and South America.  Cayenne pepper was considered helpful for various conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, including stomachaches, cramping pains, and gas.  It was frequently used to treat diseases of the circulatory system.  Christopher Columbus brought the peppers back from his travels to America in the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries.  At the time black pepper was extremely expensive as it had to be imported to Europe from Asia.  So, cayenne pepper started to gain popularity as its substitute.

Rich in:  Cayenne pepper contains a large amount of a powerful antioxidant vitamin A.  It is rich in all carotenoids, including beta carotene; vitamins C, E and B6; the mineral manganese; dietary fiber.  One of its most important constituents is a substance called capsaicin.

Internal use:  Capsaicin in cayenne pepper has powerful pain-reducing and ulcer preventing properties and cardiovascular benefits.  The hotter the pepper, the larger the content of capsaicin.  Capsaicin is an efficient relief for nasal and lung congestions and helps to clear away the mucus.  It has also been studied as a treatment for colds, flu, arthritis, psoriasis, diabetic neuropathy, and of various inflammations.  Cayenne pepper, when used regularly, reaches every part of the body, improving the entire circulatory system and promoting the elasticity of arteries, veins, and capillaries.  It contains powerful anti-infectionary properties, which promote the health of the mucous membranes that line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract, and urinary tract.  Cayenne pepper helps kill the negative bacteria and protect against stomach ulcers.  It can help reduce the symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and it can help prevent arteriosclerosis, colon cancer, blood clot formation, heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, obesity, and diabetic complications like nerve damage and heart disease.  It normalizes blood pressure and is beneficial in case of both high and low blood pressure.  Cayenne pepper defends the body against invading pathogens.  It boosts the whole immune system.

How to prepare:  At the first symptoms of cold or flu or just as a preventative remedy, add some powdered chayenne pepper and honey to your tea.  If you do not enjoy the spicy taste of the herb, take a little powdered chayenne and gulp it down with cooled tea.  I prefer to use it this way.  My sister loves the strong taste of the spice in her tea.  For a sore throat use it as a gargle.

Good to know:  Dr. John Christopher, famous natural healer, praised the use of Cayenne throughout the time of his practice. He had this to say in his Newsletter titled "Cayenne", Vol 1, Number 12: "In 35 years of practice, and working with the people and teaching, I have never on house calls lost one heart attack patient and the reason is, whenever I go in--if they are still breathing--I pour down them a cup of cayenne tea (a teaspoon of cayenne in a cup of hot water, and within minutes they are up and around). This is one of the fastest acting aids we could ever give for the heart, because it feeds that heart immediately. Most hearts are suffering from malnutrition because of processed food we are eating, but here it gets a good powerful dose of real food and it's something that has brought people in time after time. This is something that everyone should know how great it is, because a heart attack can come to your friends or loved ones any time. And even yourself. The warm tea is faster working than tablets, capsules, cold tea, because the warm tea opens up the cell structure--makes it expand and accept the cayenne that much faster, and it goes directly to the heart, through the artery system, and feeds it in powerful food.  ...in most cases, your heart attack is a case of malnutrition. The heart hasn't had a decent meal for so long that it is practically starved, and we give it immediately a good meal instead of whipping it with nitroglycerine or digitalis or some other type of drug to force it to beat rapidly to bring more food values to the heart so that it could find a little help to keep going. Here we give the cayenne directly to the system, and it goes into the heart area acting as a good full meal. Many fast responses come from this." 

External use:  To stop a wound from bleeding, or to fight infection and promote healing, pour the powdered herb straight on a wound.  A topical application of a cream, containing capsaicin, has been found very helpful in reducing severe pain in people suffering from cluster headaches as well as in the patients of diabetic neuropathy and osteoarthritis.

Good to know:  Always get your spices from a special spice store because most of the time the quality of herbs in special stores is greatly superior to the ones sold in ordinary supermarkets.  To make sure the spices you use are not irradiated, choose organically grown herbs.

From Healing Plants & Healing Promises

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Many blessings & success to You,

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