Cayenne

Hot! Hot! Hot!

By Russ Israel

Ever wonder what made that burrito you ordered taste so good – perfectly smoky and perfectly spicy?  Most likely, it was cayenne pepper.  But cayenne is not just known for its flavor.  Native Americans have been using the spice in food and medicine for 9,000 years.  Many ancient cultures found cayenne to relieve stomach pain and help with circulatory problems.  Unfortunately, there is little modern research to back up any of these claims.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer found that cayenne pepper relieves mucositis pain, a prominent side effect of chemotherapy and radiation involving inflammation of mucous membranes along the digestive tract.  However, it caused other stomach problems in too high concentrations.  Interestingly, some cayenne ointments and particularly patches have been found useful in the management of neuropathic pain, for example from shingles.

It is important to remember, however, there have been almost no large studies to definitively corroborate these claims.  Most found both beneficial and adverse side effects to cayenne supplements.  What we do know about cayenne, is that it has almost half your daily value of vitamin A, and its active component, capsaicin, has very high antioxidant activity.