Cayenne Pepper Health Benefits: Unlocking Capsaicin's Power

Hi Cameron, I got a fright the first time I took my bp (20mins) after taking cayenne as it was already raised and I had expected it to start to go down but found it was higher than before taking it. In about 2 hrs it was ok. I have tested it on 2 other occasions when my bp was normal before taking the cayenne and it rose a bit both times but within approx hour it was back to normal. I never had the dizzy feeling that you've had.

Make sure you have a good quality cayenne as some time back there were reports of colouring being added to some cayenne batches. If you have some tabasco sauce add a few drops to water and see how you go with that.

Cameron: pls take MUCH less! I take only a few grains and it's still helpful.

Thanks folks, I have backed off to 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne in Hot Water with Manuka Honey to sweeten it. My BP is now 122/75 in the morning, my pulse about 60. I do not have the large spike in BP after taking the Cayenne and I am losing weight, have more energy and I really think my eyes are better(my computer screen seems sharper). I think you really need to start off small and build up, I would guess my 1/4 tsp is about right.

Thank you for this wonderful recipe. This drink is really great and effective. It tastes very good with spinach and bananas. Has brought my inflammation down and has a cleansing effect too. Love it.

Adding another tsp of turmeric makes for additional wellness..

Dear Winnie,

Perhaps the cayenne is cleaning something out, thus the mucous. Or perhaps the remedy doesn't agree with you personally.

I would take a few days off and see if the symptoms stop. If you resume the remedy, you might want to take less.

~Mama to Many~

I'm taking it Because it makes mucous. I have a refractory ( means stubborn) duodenal ulcer. Since 2009. I've tried 50 herbs at least. And on all nutrients. Negative for H pylori. Several tests, always negative. So taking carnosine, GLA, krill oil, E, and cayenne. Read recommend for taking it in mouth and letting senses feel. Then take milk and wet it all down and swallow. But it makes me sleepy.

Hi, I have to tell you that everyone is different. I am on bp meds and then I heard the great things about cayenne pepper so I tried some.. Well It made my blood pressure go up and so I don't use it now... I do still use some hot sauce here and there.. I don't know much about the cayenne capsules because I haven't used them and thinking would they be better? I don't know but cayenne can raise bp and heart rate.

I'm a bit new to Cayenne and also [FWIW] Blood type A

It appears that what is for me, an aggressive amount of Cayenne bumps my BP up after ingesting it but that it goes right back down after a short time.

I'm contributing this for any who may find it interesting but also seeking confirmation from others more experience with Cayenne.

While it has many benefits, I wasn't able to use cayenne either. It made my BP skyrocket.

I've read the same from others who post here. It aids some in controlling their BP, but for me (and others), it has the opposite effect and causes BP to go through the roof! It scared me to death.

I started 'low and slow', too. I took just a little, then slowly increased my intake, but once I got to the recommended therapeutic dose (actually, even before I got there), my BP was so jacked-up that it scared me and I stopped.

It's definitely not for everyone.

Look up Dr Coca's Pulse Test. It's a free PDF. You may be sensitive and need not to take it.

Hi Alla from Chicago

I do have high bp and I tried cayenne pepper and it did also raise my bp..With the things I read though it said it lowers bp ...

I am not sure why it raises bp but I guess that is because it opens up the blood vessels wider .. well hopefully an expert here will weigh in. Now I just sprinkle a few drops on food but am careful not to use it too much.....

Perhaps you are allergic to capsicum. I can take cayenne but my sister cannot, and, it does raise her BP too; not so me. Everyone is blessed differently, so, taking cayenne might not be your body's thing. Cat

Try a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with a squirt of lemon twice a day...It will alkalize you and lower your BP..You may even do it three times a day if you feel you need it...

Have you been tested for Mitral Valve Prolapse? I had similar symptoms when I was 21. Rapid heart beat at night, low normal blood pressure, as well as dizziness when I got up too fast. The cardiologist did many heart tests, including a holter monitor. He diagnosed me withe ( totally benign ) MVP, and put me on Beta blocker ( for a short period. ). Once I knew it was harmless, I learned how to do biofeedback for the rare times it bothered me, went of Beta blocker. The key was a correct diagnosis. I slept better, also. My BP naturally runs low normal.

So, I suggest stopping the cayenne, and consulting an MD if these issues continue. It may just be the cayenne.

Mario: 1. Maybe you don't need it anymore. 2. Maybe you need smaller doses now. 3. If none of the above, you can put it in capsules.

Pick up some empty gelatin capsules (very easy to find both online or at your local Vitamin Shoppe), fill them with the cayenne powder, then take the capsule(s) with water after a meal.

There are companies that sell cayenne capsules but I have always preferred making my own so that I know what's in them.

Yes, I agree with Liz. Get a capsule machine! I bought mine online and it wasn't expensive. Likewise I bought 1000 capsules online on the cheap too.

You can buy cayenne in capsules at most health food stores.

Hi Walter, The same thing happened to me today I took 1/4 teaspoon with a glass of water and felt like I was about to vomit so I quickly ran and got a glass of water and the feeling soon went away. Perhaps the cayenne pepper is too strong for our bodies, everyone is diferent and I am a new to eating hot spicey food so if you're the same then I guess that's why it's happening. I'm going to post and ask a few questions and hopefully someone will give us an answer soon enough and good luck.

It could be that you are exercising too late and your body is still reved up... However you can go the alternative way and take a sleep supplement like melatonin or you could go to bed an hour early to relax your mind so you can dose off naturaly I would take a hot bath with Lavendar before I went to bed...

Or another simple thing you could drink tart cherry juice it has natural melatonin in it I would add a little water and 1/4 tsp of vanilla... I hope this helps...!!!

The other night almost the same thing happen to me. I ate my dinner and then took my cayenne pills (2 of them). Minutes later I started to feel this pain in my stomach. It got worse and worse.... I thought maybe I had to throw up but I really don't like to so I tried not to. I walked into the living room and almost passed out. I laid down on the couch and went into a heavy sweat. Slowly the pain went away and I came back to reality.

Since then I have taken my cayenne pills before I eat. This has not happen again BUT... I can't help but want it to happen again. Even though the pain was really bad at first..... I felt great after the episode was over.

I read an article for that saying it has to go through the mouth first. Yeah, I wasn't thrilled, but if it helps me, I take my burning medicine, so far no cramps, but burning in mouth.

Dear John 1974,

Did you buy cayenne powder? One thing you can do is just put some in a pepper shaker and add it to food. Over time you will increase your tolerance and be able to add more.

Another option is to add 1/4 teaspoon to some juice (4-6 ounces) once or twice a day. I use a straw when I drink this otherwise the cayenne can burn the lips.

Cayenne is awesome to have on hand for a sore throat. If used at the beginning of a sore throat (or cold that begins with a sore throat) gargling with it every few hours for a day or two will often knock out the infection. It also helps a lot with the pain. I add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt to 4 ounces of water and gargle. (Put some chap stick or something on your lips before gargling to avoid burning the lips.) It is super spicy but wow, it works so well.

Cayenne is also awesome if you get a cut that won't stop bleeding. After cleaning the wound you can pack it with cayenne. A friend did this with a bad cut and went to the hospital to get stitches. The ER doctor wanted to know how they got such a bad cut to stop bleeding! It stings at first but that does not last and often helps with the pain.

And yes, cayenne is great for the circulatory system and for the heart. When my husband would have arrhythmia problems, he would take a couple of capsules of cayenne, hawthorne and ginger and it would always help.

Cayenne will also help to warm you up. You can take it in juice when you are cold.

~Mama to Many~

Thanks mama for your lovely reply. Yeah I got myself some and I have put some of the powder into capsules. I've been taking it for 4 days now. Heart condition runs in our side of the family and I'm trying to avoid such illnesses.

Hawthorn is so good for the heart. When I studied herbology, when hawthorn was looked at under a microscope, the cells look just like human hearts!