(21-05-13) Cayenne pepper is a lot more than just a hot herb

by P. Simard

(NaturalNews) Cayenne pepper may not be overwhelmingly used in America but it
certainly deserves to be given a lot more attention considering the many health
benefits associated to eating it. This very spicy herb has many advantages such
as helping the cardiovascular system; preventing stomach ulcers; aiding the
digestive tract and fighting against inflammation, just to name a few.

Cayenne pepper owes its given name to a town in French Guiana where it is
cultivated. It's a hot chilli pepper from the capsicum family, related to bell
peppers, jalapenos and paprika. The plants are no more than four feet tall and
generally grown in a tropical environment, as they require a moist and warm
soil for optimal results. These grown peppers turn out to be very rich in
nutrients and they are an excellent source of vitamins, more specifically
vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin, vitamin B6 and vitamin K.

It offers a boost to circulation and energizes your heart
Dr. John Christopher, a well regarded herbalist, used to say that giving a
teaspoon of cayenne pepper mixed with a glass of warm water could instantly
rescue a patient from an ongoing heart attack. Mr. Christopher was a first-hand
eye witness to the empowering effects cayenne pepper would generate to a
weakened and damaged heart. You can read more on such claims in his book called
School of Natural Healing.

It is known that cultures regularly consuming cayenne pepper present fewer
cases of heart problems. Besides lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels,
it also helps dissolving excessive blood clots forming in the circulatory
system. Cayenne pepper normalizes blood pressure as it feeds the veins,
capillaries and arteries. It basically rejuvenates the cardiovascular system
and allows it to regain some much needed elasticity.

Cayenne pepper contains a component known as capsaicin which neutralizes what
is referred to substance P, a neuropeptide linked to the cause of inflammation
in the body. The highest content of capsaicin can be found in the hottest forms
of chilli peppers, cayenne pepper being amongst these along with others such as
habanero and scotch bonnet.

Stomach ulcers may very well be prevented by the resulting actions of the hot
peppers once they reach the intestinal flora. They tend to invigorate the
present cells, all while killing the intrusive bacteria in the intestinal
tract. Overall, cayenne pepper promotes the effective assimilation and
elimination of ingested substances.

In a very interesting article posted in Reuters on March 16, 2006, researchers
had discovered that the capsaicin found in cayenne pepper had the ability to
make prostate cancer cells kill themselves about 80 percent of the time. The
research conducted on mice also showed that cancer tumors in capsaicin-fed
mice, were on average only a fifth the size of the ones that were not given the
cayenne pepper component.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.cayennepepper.info/health-benefits-of-cayenne-pepper.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=140

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayenne_pepper

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