Cayenne Pepper

(Capsicum annuum)

Other Names: (Non-Native Culinary Pepper(

African Bird Peppers

Range:

Family:

Solanaceae - Nightshade Family

Parts Used:

Fruit

Culinary Uses:

text

Energetics

Taste: Pungent
Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

Peripheral dilation when skin is hot and dry or the first stages of a head cold, with dry, hot mucosa; achlorhydria in aged or alcoholic; vasoneurosis, Raynaud's etc.

Usage Indictions:

Appetite Control, Dyspepsia, Increased Energy, Increased Resting Metabolic Rate, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Pain Control, Plaster for Low Back Pain, Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

Indications Citations

The fact that studies concerning all indications listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopeia prior to the advent of allopathic medicine.

Clinical Trials:

Appetite Control: Yoshioka M, St-Pierre S, Drapeau V, Dionne I, Doucet E, Suzuki M, Tremblay A. Effects of red pepper on appetite and energy intake. Br J Nutr. 1999 Aug;82(2):115-23. PMID: 10743483.

Increased energy (When used with caffeine): Yoshioka M, St-Pierre S, Drapeau V, Dionne I, Doucet E, Suzuki M, Tremblay A. Effects of red pepper on appetite and energy intake. Br J Nutr. 1999 Aug;82(2):115-23. PMID: 10743483.

Increased Circulation and Resting Metabolic Rate (Increased Circulation): Galgani JE, Ravussin E. Effect of dihydrocapsiate on resting metabolic rate in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1089-93. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.30036. Epub 2010 Sep 8. PMID: 20826626; PMCID: PMC2954444.

Pain Control (Large Study): Keitel W, Frerick H, Kuhn U, Schmidt U, Kuhlmann M, Bredehorst A. Capsicum pain plaster in chronic non-specific low back pain. Arzneimittelforschung. 2001 Nov;51(11):896-903. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1300134. PMID: 11765591.

Plaster for low back pain (Small Study): Frerick H, Keitel W, Kuhn U, Schmidt S, Bredehorst A, Kuhlmann M. Topical treatment of chronic low back pain with a capsicum plaster. Pain. 2003 Nov;106(1-2):59-64. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3959(03)00278-1. PMID: 14581111.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Bortolotti M, Porta S. Effect of red pepper on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome: preliminary study. Dig Dis Sci. 2011 Nov;56(11):3288-95. doi: 10.1007/s10620-011-1740-9. Epub 2011 May 15. PMID: 21573941.

Dyspepsia (Heartburn): Bortolotti M, Coccia G, Grossi G, Miglioli M. The treatment of functional dyspepsia with red pepper. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2002 Jun;16(6):1075-82. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2002.01280.x. PMID: 12030948.

Red hot chili peppers do not exacerbate hemorrhoids: Altomare DF, Rinaldi M, La Torre F, Scardigno D, Roveran A, Canuti S, Morea G, Spazzafumo L. Red hot chili pepper and hemorrhoids: the explosion of a myth: results of a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Dis Colon Rectum. 2006 Jul;49(7):1018-23. doi: 10.1007/s10350-006-0532-3. PMID: 16708161.

Published Studies:

Atopic dermatitis (Excema): Reuter J, Merfort I, Schempp CM. Botanicals in dermatology: an evidence-based review. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2010;11(4):247-67. doi: 10.2165/11533220-000000000-00000. PMID: 20509719.

Psoriasis: Reuter J, Merfort I, Schempp CM. Botanicals in dermatology: an evidence-based review. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2010;11(4):247-67. doi: 10.2165/11533220-000000000-00000. PMID: 20509719.

Medicinal Actions:

Adaptogen, Analgesic, Anorexiant, Vasodilator

This plant has been shown, by scientific studies, to exhibit the following medicinal actions. The fact that studies concerning all of the traditional medicinal actions listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said actions are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia prior to the rise of allopathic medicine.

Clinical Trials:

Analgesic Topical pain relief (LArge study): Keitel W, Frerick H, Kuhn U, Schmidt U, Kuhlmann M, Bredehorst A. Capsicum pain plaster in chronic non-specific low back pain. Arzneimittelforschung. 2001 Nov;51(11):896-903. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1300134. PMID: 11765591.

Analgesic Plaster for low back pain (Small study): Text

Adaptogen (used with caffeine capsicum provides increased sustained energy): Text

Alterative (Common): Galgani JE, Ravussin E. Effect of dihydrocapsiate on resting metabolic rate in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1089-93. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.30036. Epub 2010 Sep 8. PMID: 20826626; PMCID: PMC2954444.

Anorexiant (Appetite suppressant): Yoshioka M, St-Pierre S, Drapeau V, Dionne I, Doucet E, Suzuki M, Tremblay A. Effects of red pepper on appetite and energy intake. Br J Nutr. 1999 Aug;82(2):115-23. PMID: 10743483.

Vasodilator (Increases circulation): Galgani JE, Ravussin E. Effect of dihydrocapsiate on resting metabolic rate in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1089-93. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.30036. Epub 2010 Sep 8. PMID: 20826626; PMCID: PMC2954444.