10 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of cayenne pepper.

1. Kick inflammation in the butt. The capsaicin in cayenne peppers has been found to inhibit a neurotransmitter associated with inflammation. The hotter the pepper, the higher the content of capsaicin. Scientists have found that capsaicin is an effective treatment for nerve disorders, including pain associated with arthritis and psoriasis.

2. Boost your immune system. The bright red color of cayenne pepper is indicative of it being packed with beta-carotene, a preliminary to vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for maintaining a strong defense against infections, particularly in the nasal passages, intestinal tract and the lungs. With more vitamin A, the body is better equipped to knock back pathogens that attempt to invade. This is one of my favorite health benefits of cayenne pepper.

3. Lose weight. If you eat something with cayenne pepper, your mouth will heat up like an oven, or at least it will feel like it. Fortunately, an interesting health benefit of cayenne pepper (and spicy stuff in general) is that the heat takes energy and calories for your body to produce. That’s right – just by eating spicy food (such as cayenne pepper), your body burns calories. Use it with juicing and you’ll be juicing for weight loss

4. Clear your airways. Sick of that sniffly nose? Or perhaps someone in the room keeps sniffling and you can’t focus or get anything done? Give them a hit of cayenne pepper. Capsaicin (remember? It’s the “magic” ingredient in cayenne pepper.) helps to clear mucus from your blocked nose or congested lungs. Interestingly, capsaicin is similar to one of the ingredients usually used in pharmaceutical cold remedies, except it works much faster. Next time you need to clear your nose, make a glass of tea and add a teaspoon or two of cayenne pepper to it.

5. Avoid stomach ulcers. Some people believe that cayenne pepper causes stomach ulcers but this is simply not true. One of the less known health benefits of cayenne pepper is that it actually prevents stomach ulcers. It does this by killing bacteria that you may have consumed. Another benefit of cayenne pepper is that is also stimulates stomach cells to secrete protective juices that prevent ulcers from forming. Adding cayenne pepper and other spicy things to food is a great way to ensure that any bacteria in the food is killed before it is allowed to do any damage to your body.

6. Increase your heart health. Cayenne peppers have been found to reduce blood cholesterol while increasing the body’s ability to manage blood clots. In cultures where people LOVE their hot food (especially cayenne pepper), they have much lower rates of heart problems than cultures that do not consume as much spicy food.

7. Aid digestion. Cayenne pepper is known by many to be a great digestive aid. It stimulates digestion by increasing enzyme production which then increases metabolic action. Better digestion means the body absorbs more nutrients.

8. Knock pain on the head. Studies have shown that capsaicin has a marked effect in reducing pain due to headaches and osteoarthritis pain.

9. Defend against cancer. In some cases, studies have found that cayenne pepper may prevent a variety of cancers, including liver tumors and lung cancer caused by cigarette smoke.

10. Make more saliva. Huh? Yep, cayenne pepper makes your mouth produce more saliva. This might sound gross but it’s actually a good thing as saliva is essential to good dental health and also aids digestion.

10 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper | Benefits and Side Effects (healthy-juicing.com)