Cayenne pepper is a staple ingredient in most people’s kitchen cupboards. We like it for the extra kick it gives our curries and how it can be just the element we’re looking for to save a dish from being bland. What people may not be aware of, however, is Cayenne pepper’s health-protecting capabilities.
Cayenne pepper could actually even save your life, as long as you know how to use it properly!
This fiery kitchen spice is also known as chilli pepper or capsicum frutescens, and it can be found in many stores and supermarkets. When powdered, it is reddish-orange in colour.
Finding a good quality cayenne pepper is very important, though; if you go for cheap, irradiated supermarket herbs and spices, you’ll not only be missing out on quality – they’ll be ineffective and toxic. Choose an organic variety from a reputable health food supplier.
Although we may consider it a food ingredient rather than a health product, it could serve us well to change this perspective; cayenne has been used worldwide as a medicine for hundreds of years.
Why Cayenne pepper is a medicine
This life-saving pepper contains a substance called capsaicin, which can raise the body’s temperature; we all know how it feels when you bite down on a hot chilli pepper – that feeling of intense burning heat in your mouth isn’t one you forget easily!
Cayenne pepper helps with poor circulation.
The capsaicin in these peppers is said to be the most powerful substance on Earth to stimulate blood circulation. In the same way, it helps your digestive processes.
There is something great about how cayenne stimulates circulation, though; it does so without causing any negative side effects, such as palpitations or raised blood pressure.
Cayenne pepper is a painkiller.
Cayenne has painkilling properties, too; this is why it is used in some topical medical painkilling products.
It is commonly used to treat headaches, dental pain and sore throats but can temporarily relieve many kinds of pain – even chronic pain.
Cayenne is useful for all of the above but can do so much more. This wonder spice can prevent heart disease and even heart attacks and strokes at the moment if caught quickly.
Heart disease
This fiery spice can lower blood pressure and, at the same time, is capable of increasing the heart’s action.
The capsaicin content brings energy to the cardiovascular system, improving its activity for better heart health.
It is possible to stop a heart attack or stroke in its tracks if caught quickly, so it would be a good idea always to carry some cayenne pepper.
If you happen to be in the vicinity when someone has a heart attack or stroke, you may well be the one to save that person’s life. The results should be nothing short of amazing. This simple remedy can work in under a minute, and the chances are that that person will function normally several minutes later.
Here’s how:
Put one teaspoon of the cayenne powder into hot water and stir it up as quickly as possible.
Ensure that they are still breathing, and have them drink it down. Alternatively, administer 5 to 10 drops of this orally if you possess cayenne tincture. These processes can be repeated every quarter of an hour if necessary.
There have even been instances recorded where Cayenne brought people back from the dead after oral administration.
It goes without saying that a heart attack or stroke sufferer should seek medical treatment even if revived by cayenne pepper; it is important to be checked over afterwards in case of serious defects.
Cayenne can also be used as a preventative measure. Prevention is always better than cure, so it is a good idea to introduce more cayenne into the diet regularly to strengthen the heart and improve circulation to the brain.
Keep cayenne pepper on you at all times.
A cayenne tincture is a good thing to carry. It can be easier to distribute tincture to a person in trouble than getting them to drink a cup of tea with cayenne, but both methods are thought to be the most effective.
You could also consider carrying it in capsule form or making capsules of it yourself from the powder, but these may not be as effective in an emergency.
Be sure to carry it when you are undertaking any strenuous or stressful activities that might put a strain on the heart.
As part of a healthy diet, cayenne could be just the preventative measure you need, but it’s good to know that such a simple and easily sourced product could literally save a life.
If you are unsure about how to look after your health in simple ways with simple products, take a look at the MediMush blog for our other articles. We’re always happy to talk to you about how you can boost your health!