Common Names: Cayenne is also known as hot pepper, chilli pepper, paprika, and red pepper, is an effective remedy for muscular tension, rheumatism, and digestive ailments.
Parts Used: Fruits
Culinary Uses: Add a half-a-pinch of ground cayenne to just about anything.
Medicinal Uses:
Cayenne can also be taken orally, and is available in both capsules and tinctures. There is evidence that cayenne supplements can relieve cluster headaches, heartburn, and indigestion, and even promote weight loss. Oral doses of cayenne have also been used to treat menstrual cramps, loss of appetite, alcoholism, diarrhoea, and seasickness.
Cayenne’s ability to make the body more heat resistant has made it a popular folk treatment for fever, including malarial and yellow fevers. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in Cayenne. Capsaicin in cayenne is being studied for its ability to prevent cardiovascular disease, including hardening of the arteries, stroke, and heart disease. It is thought that cayenne helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, thus promoting a healthy vascular system.  Capsaicin is often included in home remedies for cough, and can be helpful when combined with other medicines as a treatment for pneumonia.
Cautions:
If you take too much capsaicin for extended periods of time you could develop chronic stomach problems, kidney damage, liver damage, or nerve problems; so people with intestinal disorders like chronic ulcers or chronic bowel diseases should avoid the use of cayenne in large quantities.
Do not apply capsaicin creams close to the eyes, mucous membranes, or areas of broken skin, and follow the instructions on the packaging here as well—overdoing it on the cream can cause skin inflammation, blisters, and ulcers.

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Tags | Cayenne, herb