Cayenne Pepper Facts

Cayenne pepper is derived from dried chili peppers and is often used as a food seasoning. Peppers come from the capsicum frutescens plant and can be made into a powder or can be added whole, in strips, chunks or diced bits, to many recipes.

Identification

• The cayenne plant produces pods or peppers that have a key ingredient called capsaicin, a chemical that gives the peppers their hotness and causes the explosive and heat-filled reaction many receive afer just a brief taste of the pepper.

Benefits

• Regular intake of cayenne pepper can lead to improved blood circulation, relief from heart attack, cramps, varicose veins, constipation, allergies, sore throat and toothache.

Considerations

• Herbal supplements are labeled by heat units of 40,000, 60,000 or 90,000. The higher the number, the more impact the supplement will have and, likewise, specialists urge you to avoid those designated 30,000 heat units or less. They have been found to be weaker and more easily contaminated.

Effects

• Upon consumption of cayenne pepper, an instantaneous reaction takes place in the mouth, alerting the brain that something spicy-hot is on its way to the stomach. As a result, the digestive organ is already prepared, in advance, to receive and begin the digestive process of the pepper and its ingredients.

Types

• Cayenne is only one of a variety of hot peppers which are used as food seasonings and contain capsaicin. Others include jalapenos, habaneros and chile de arbol.

Misconceptions

• Hot peppers are often believed to be the cause of stomach disorders, like ulcers; however, the opposite is true. Because cayenne pepper kills bacteria in the stomach, researchers now link it to ulcer prevention.

Expert Insight

• In "The Health Benefits of Cayenne," author John Heinerman, PhD, explains that capsaicinoids are the compounds which make cayenne peppers hot to the taste. He references nordihydrocapsaicin, the mildest compound, which is only half as hot as capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin---the two most intense compounds. Homodihydrocapsaicin is said to be more subtle than the other three in that the hotness is not felt immediately but, minutes after ingestion, numbness and burning overtake the mouth, tongue and throat.