Cayenne Pepper Health Benefits: Unlocking Capsaicin's Power

I've been filling my own "00" gel caps with cayenne pepper for a year now, with no side effects. I take it orally now. This is the most beneficial way to do it. But you must start out with organic cayenne pepper at about 40, 000 SHU (heat units) by taking 1/8 tsp. In 4 oz. Room temp. Distilled water, after every meal and build up to hotter pepper.

DO NOT TAKE IT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH! YOU WILL REGRET IT!

I am now taking 1 level tsp. of organic cayenne pepper @ 90,000SHU in 4 oz. of distilled water after every meal. I can even swirl it around in my mouth for a while. You will get used to it...

This spice/herb is truly amazing.

I am 66 years old and I've never felt better in my life. If cayenne pepper was $50.00 a pound (which it isn't) I would still buy a pound every month.

Thanks for listening...

Although Cayenne does thin the blood, I have read in several places that it greatly aids in blood coagulation, so that would indicate that it is a good thing prior to surgery, and it is often used to help people stop bleeding when wounded. So, with a little more reading Amy maybe should retract her misleading statement. Thanks. A.

This pepper is easily grown from seed where the weather is warm. I grow my own.

When it is a bright red color, I pick it from the plant, then, wearing gloves, I cut it open to scrape out the seeds. Then slice the pepper in thin slices and dry on paper towels. In less than a week, they are completely dry and can be stored in a jar. Then whenever I want to add it to whatever hot drink I am making, I just add a half teaspoon or so and let it steep a few minutes. You may like to use more or less. I like this better because I get the essence of the pepper without choking on the dried grounds.

Well, yes, cayenne IS very hot. The grocery store cayenne is fine. In fact, I find it is sometimes fresher than the prepacked capsules. A bright red color is good. Just don't get it into your eyes or even under your fingernails. And you may want to try a very small amount at first. Hope it works for you.

Thanks for the suggestion of using a straw! I mixed a tsp. of lemon juice(bottle), a tsp of honey, in 2tbsp of yogurt, w/ a pinch of cayenne(1/4 tsp. on a small plate to keep track of tolerance). Using a straw did the trick. The way I tried it before felt like getting punched in the chest. This way it is just warm going down and I can feel clearer breathing after 5 min. I also started burping quite a bit ( had a meal about 1-1/2 hrs. ago. I'll keep upping my dose and keep you posted. God Bless!

Hello everyone,
I would like to hear some feedback concerning using reg cayenne from the grocery store for medicine . I tried some of what I had and it was as hot as a firecracker! So, has anyone used the grocery store kind in the large container like chefs use, with a good outcome. THANKS!

Yesterday I had, unusually while awake, a strong episode of atrial flutter, my chest felt like a washine machine full of golf balls! It would not calm down with relaxation etc, so, half teaspoon cayenne in a cup of warm water followed by a short deliberate heavy coughing session, 5 minutes later all went back to normal, well worth trying!

Keep up these posts, love to all, Kolin.

I take Cayenne pepper in a small amount of cold water then drink warm water. I then take a spoonful of Honey. The burning is gone in half a minute.

John, Thanks for the alert I had not heard of this contamination so did some googling and now there are two chemical poisons - the Sudan Red you mentioned and also Para Red. They are illegal dyes that should not be in food. The list of food and spices that are contaminated is still growing and they are sill looking for more. To think I recently looked at some paprika that was very pale and decided not to buy it.

I take a tspn of cayenne twice a day in hot water with my green tea, ACV and bicarb soda. You can't taste the ACV. I can feel the cayenne moving through my body and feel wonderful afterwards. I am trying to get rid of some varicous veins. Recently the cayenne stopped a migraine which I normally get for days in its tracks. Stop Bleeding Fast! One of natures best remedies for cuts (even deep punctures) is believe it or not: Cayenne Pepper! This wonderful plant can be grown and therefore no "factory" will be necessary. To use - apply liberally on wound. The wound will form a scab and heal much quicker than with even sutures and with no scarring.

From the book: Cayenne Pepper medicinal uses:

Major benefits - Stops Bleeding (internal or external), Heart attack, stroke, or Shock, Dissolves clots.

Minor Benefits - Reviving, Fainting, Dizziness, Weakness, Confusion.

PROPERTIES & ACTIONS: Stimulant (improves blood circulation), diaphoretic (increases perspiration), carminative (improves digestion), tonic (strengthens and energizes a particular body organ or the entire body system), sialogue (stimulates secretion of saliva), rubefacient (increases superficial circulation, which often lessens localized pain from arthritis, inflammation, etc. , antiseptic (kills or controls the growth of bacteria).

Here is an excerpt from the book for an internal use:
Cayenne can be applied to open wounds or taken orally to stop bleeding. Nosebleeds, deep cuts, even arterial gushing will stop within seconds. Blood pressure is equalised throughout the body so there is no excessive pressure on the haemorrhage area and it can clot naturally.

Hemorrhoids:

I bought a book about the coconut cures, it tells in the book that coconut oil and cayenne powder mix equal parts to make a poultice. and apply to the affected area followed a coat of coconut oil several times throughout the day to speed healing it stop itching and it truly works. then take 100 mg of grape seed extract and a capsule of cayenne pepper with each meal till the hemorrhoids regress.

I didnt know about cayenne pepper capsule thought it comes only in powder so i went online and found out about the healing cures of cayenne, my hemorrhoids was so severe that I was almost make an appt with my doctor but scared of surgery, i am healed, no ibs or itchy butt syndrome, it works and i believed cayenne, i am taking a capsule of cayenne after breakfast meal everyday i feel good.

To the person who had extreme side effects after taking cayenne capsules:

The reason you had this over reaction to the cayenne pepper pills is because you should never take anything that tastes hot in a pill form. The body needs to sense that some thing as hot as cayenne pepper is on its way down to the stomache and the stomache is then prepared with the appropriate digestive acids to accept the cayenne pepper to handle it and digest it without any reaction.

You may have been told by the people who sold you the pills that it's okay to take cayenne pepper in this form, but I will assure you it is not. Please listen to my advice or better yet do your own research on this and you will see I am telling you the truth.

Good luck,
Ellen

P. S. It is very easy to get cayenne into your diet and it is so cheap too. I put my cayenne in a glass of lemon juice which was freshly squeezed (and it needs to be an actual lemon, the fake plastic lemon juice dose nothing to help your health) and put a little cayenne pepper in and sweeten it with liquid stevia. It tastes refreshing and it is health promoting.

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.

First of all, I love the site. Browsing through here has definitely helped my overall health and wellness and definitely cured a few ailments over the past few years. Next I would like to say that the most unpleasant feeling in the world for me is nasal congestion. I absolutely hate it when my nose is plugged.

One day, I awoke and couldn't breathe through my nose at all. Unfortunately it stayed like this all day. I headed to Earth Clinic where I found the suggestion to snort some cayenne. I could hear my mother's voice in my head questioning whether this was really such a good idea. I didn't listen to mother, and used the "it sounds the most extreme and must therefore work the best" logic. I started off by taking about 1/4tbs of cayenne and split it into two separate piles on my right and left index fingers, prayed to every religious figure I could think of, and snorted as hard as I could, one index finger into each nostril. At first it burned. I told myself to man up and deal with it and it will be fine. Then, it blazed. My eyes were watering attempting to put out the fire that was now in my nasal passages. Being the genius that I am, I attempted to wipe the tears with my hands. Turns out there was still cayenne the fingers I used to wipe my eyes. I've been poked in the eye, punched in the eye, spit in the eye, kicked in the eye, scratched in the eye--none of which compared to what I was experiencing. Frantically trying to rinse my eyes out to ease the pain and gulping down milk as the blaze had gone down the back of my throat I had nearly given up hope. I was convinced my eyes were ready to fall out and I had destroyed what was left of my sinuses. Ready to end it all I headed to get my rifle (or possibly some whiskey) when I took a deep breath through my nose. Sweet clarity. Sweet, sweet nasal clarity.

I have had personal experience with cayenne for stopping hemorrhaging. Immediately after the birth of my second child, I began hemorrhaging pretty badly. The midwife tried everything she could think of to get it to stop, but it wouldn't. Finally, on the insistence of the birth assistant, they gave me two full droppers (not two drops) of cayenne tincture. The bleeding stopped instantly. My mouth was on fire, but at least I was safe.

Hi I am a nobody college student. I have had a sore throat for two days and it has been hurting like none other. Web Md suggests warm salt water and that will last you some 5 minuets. Google pointed me here. CAYENNE pepper mixed with warm water and gargled appears to be the top pick and it is for a reason. 2 minuets after the taste of pepper left my mouth I was so much better. Try it, it works so well.

The power of cayenne powder:

The reason it suggested to take it with warm water is it works faster because the warm 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.

I am a recovering alcoholic in my 26th year and have bit longer without drugs. Before finding cayenne powder, the only holistic products was Epsom salt and ice for my pains.

September of 2009, I did the master cleanse for 7 days and 2 weeks of milk thistle with bentonite clay. During this cleanse noticed the odd annoying pain in my left leg had vanished.

Upon more investigation came to the conclusion that caffeine had restricted my circulation and capsaicin (cayenne powder) had opened it.. I used to lie in bed and my leg would hurt or be sitting in a recovery meeting drinking coffee rubbing my ankle in pain. I am pain free.

Every night on an empty stomach before bed without food, I take 1 fresh squeezed orange, half a teaspoon of cayenne powder and a drop of safflower oil.

Also in the morning I do the same but have food immediately or else there is the possibility with moving around that it will cause a horrible stomach problems from my movement.

What I have read is cayenne powder works as a blood thinner. It is suggested don't use it if you have high blood pressure, on other blood thinners.

It does lower ldl and raise hdl. It works also like Midol (pain inhibitor) for women with cramps.

It stops the production of "Substance P" in the spinal cord that sends synapses to neurons to the brain to let us know that there is pain.

I have found personally it has help me get a better night sleep and to feel restful and energized in the morning. I swear by it and use it for all my ailment names.

I would say absolutely YES on cayenne. Having worked for Dr. Richard Schulze, he uses cayenne in most every tonic, including his Deep Tissue Oil. You can buy cayenne in bulk (the hotter the better) and add to an oil base.

I live in Middle Tennessee, so I suffer from chronic sinusitis and sinus infections, which trigger asthma attacks and Acute Asthmatic Bronchitis. This spring (2010), I was desperate for relief (I never want to get Acute Asthmatic Bronchitis again! ), so I tried a nasal spray which contains Capsaicin pepper. It is found in the Nasal Spray section in drugstores. The label warns that you will feel a "strong sensation" on initial use. This is true. I have put off using it at times, for fear of the strong burning sensation in my sinus cavities. So then I will get a mild infection. But when I use it, it is amazing. Sweet relief! The price is off-putting, at nearly $15.00, but it lasts me several months. And I have not had a severe sinus infection since I started using it.