Replied by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/30/2014

Are you trying to treat something specific with the turmeric and cayenne (other than with your husband)?

When I am treating an adult with turmeric, I give 4 capsules 3-4 times a day. I have given 2 turmeric capsules 2-4 times a day for a child around the age of 10. I have given 1 capsules 3-4 times a day for a child as young as 4. I would not hesitate to give it to a younger child for a specific need. For a child that cannot swallow capsules, I mix turmeric in yogurt, honey or applesauce.

If I just wanted to get some turmeric in someone for its general healing properties, I would probably only give one dose a day. I have read about people using as much as a Tablespoon at a time, which would be 12-15 capsules! That is a lot!

Turmeric works best when taken with some fat and some black pepper, though I don't always do that. Turmeric should also be taken with plenty of water. I have read it can be constipating, so be watchful of that. I have never seen that happen in my family, though.

A little cayenne goes a long way. When I am dealing with an acute situation, I take 1/2 - 1 teaspoon at a time (2-4 or 5 capsules.) But my husband and I both find that capsules of cayenne cause us some digestive distress. I prefer to take it in some juice, though it is very hot, because the body seems to accept it better if it starts in the mouth (digestion starts in the mouth and tummies don't like surprises! ) I don't think I have ever given a child a cayenne capsule, though I am not saying I never would. I have just not had a need to.

I have not researched blood thinning abilities of turmeric. However, cayenne is reported to do this. If the doctor has put your husband on an aspirin, I would not recommend taking your husband off the aspirin without checking with him. I think it is possible he would not need the aspirin. If you could get a copy of Dick Quinn's book, "Left for Dead, " he did use cayenne and some other herbs instead of heart medicine following a heart attack and surgery. It is a fascinating book.

I would watch for excess bruising if your husband takes the aspirin and blood thinning herbs.

Hope that helps!

~Mama to Many~

Replied by Elaine (Thailand) on 08/31/2014

Thank you for replying to my question. Thankfully my family and I are in good health so I was looking at it as a preventative measure.

I have read about the benefits of taking turmeric and my Mum who is a regular reader of this wonderful site told me that to get the most benefits it is best to take it with pepper. Therefore also reading about the healing effects of cayenne I wondered if I could mix the two together ?

We live quite an active out door life and being in Thailand I worry about skin cancers etc. It's not always easy to make sure the children have enough sun protection and I worry about how harmful most sun creams are.

After reading about how tumeric can prevent and slow down cancers I wondered if this was something I could give my family daily? Would you recommend this even though we have no specific needs?

My children will drink a daily glass of fresh vegetable juice ( although sometimes bribery is necessary ), but it would be great to know what extra natural supplements I could give them to keep them healthy.

Thank you for recommending Dick Quinn's book, I will look out for it.

Hope you have a great day! Elaine

Replied by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 09/01/2014

I think it is fine to take cayenne with turmeric...both are wonderful herbs. The recommendation to take pepper with turmeric is for black pepper, though. Black pepper has piperine in it, which is what increases the effectiveness of turmeric. Cayenne does not have that, at least as far as I can tell from my herb books. But turmeric and cayenne are still both great herbs. Cayenne is considered a catalyst, and for that reason may help turmeric work better, but not quite the same as the black pepper.

I think cayenne and turmeric are both great taken regularly, even if no specific need is present.

It is possible that putting the turmeric into the vegetable drink you make will mask the taste significantly. I was making myself a comfrey-cucumber drink daily with turmeric in it and I could barely detect the turmeric!

I understand your concern about the use of sunscreen. My family does not use it at all. I am quite convinced that sunshine is good for you. We are careful to avoid getting sunburns. Especially when the weather begins to turn warm, we are more careful with hats and protective clothing. But even so, my children all end up sun tanned by the end of summer. I even have two red-headed/fair skinned children that will tan quite nicely if their skin is allowed to acclimate to sunshine gradually each season.

It sounds like you are doing many things that will help your family to stay well--vegetable juice, healthy spices, sunshine and being active outdoors. I have read some that a poor diet makes one more likely to get skin cancers (and other cancers) than that actual sun exposure. An older relative of mine had many skin cancers over the years on his back, but he always wore a shirt! Of course, I do think it wise to be careful not to get sunburned.

If you come up with a yummy juice recipe that your children love (or perhaps at least tolerate well), be sure to share it here! :)

Have a great day!

~Mama to Many~