Cayenne pepper, also commonly called chili pepper, is a wonderful systemic stimulant, cayenne encourages circulation, strengthens the heart and revitalizes the digestive system. It is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It can be eaten or used medicinally as a dried or fresh fruit, and harvested at maturity when red.

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The scientific botanical name for cayenne is Capsicum annuum. Othe rnames include African Bird Pepper, African Chillies, African Pepper, Aji, Bird Pepper, Capsaicin, Capsaïcine, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum Fruit, Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum minimum, Capsicum Oleoresin, Capsicum pubescens, Cayenne Fruit, Chili, Chili Pepper, Chilli, Chillies, Cis-capsaicin, Civamide, Garden Pepper, Goat's Pod, Grains of Paradise, Green Chili Pepper, Green Pepper, Hot Pepper, Hungarian Pepper, Ici Fructus, Katuvira, Lal Mirchi, Louisiana Long Pepper, Louisiana Sport Pepper, Mexican Chilies, Mirchi, Oleoresin capsicum, Paprika, Paprika de Hongrie, Pili-pili, Piment de Cayenne, Piment Enragé, Piment Fort, Piment-oiseau, Pimento, Poivre de Cayenne, Poivre de Zanzibar, Poivre Rouge, Red Pepper, Sweet Pepper, Tabasco Pepper, Trans-capsaicin, Zanzibar Pepper, Zucapsaicin, Zucapsaïcine.

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Key Points

often grows upwards, unlike other fruits
greatly used as a culinary spice
encourages circulation
wide variety of medical uses
too much can be an irritant to digestive, while smaller amounts can help
needs sunny, hot and dry environment to produce abundantly

History

The species annuum comes from the Latin for year to mean annual, this plant is not an annual. In winter- and frost-free environments this pant can turn into a large shrubby perennial. It's very productive in warm and dry climates.

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Where is it found?

It both native and introduced to North America, found mostly in the southern United States.

It prefers well-drained soil, and can grow in pretty much any soil type (sandy, loamy, clay), and prefers a moist soil. It needs the sun, and won't grow well in the shade.

What's it used for?

The red fruits can be eaten raw or cooked. The milder varieties can be eaten raw in salads, while the stronger types are usually used to make things spicy. Dried chili and red cayenne is ground into a powder are used to make the pungent spice paprika. The red fruit can be used as a coloring. Flowers and seeds can be eaten as well, with seeds dried and ground as a pepper spice.

Digestive problems like upset stomach , intestinal gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, and cramps can be treated with cayenne, as well as heart and blood issues like poor circulation, excessive blood clotting, high cholesterol, and preventing heart disease.

Cayenne can provide relief for toothache, seasickness, alcoholism, malaria, fever, sore throats and as a gargle for laryngitis. Skin application is used to treat pain from shingles, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, to relieve muscle spasms, and for nerve pain associated with diabetes and HIV, other types of nerve pain (neuralgia), and back pain.

Are there any risks?

Avoid contact with the eyes and nose as it will burn. Excessive use may cause irritation more than relief. Skin irritation, burning, and itching may develop. Side effects of use can include stomach irritation and upset, sweating, flushing, and runny nose. Large doses for long periods can lead to more severe issues such as liver or kidney damage.

Eating too much capsicum while breast feeding has been reported to cause skin issues for children.

Using cayenne with cocaine can increase cocaine's effects and increase the risk of heart attacks or death. Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interact with capsicum fruits as it can slow blood clotting. Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others.

High blood pressure medication also interact. They can cause coughs, and taking cayenne with them can worsen coughs. Some medications for high blood pressure include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), ramipril (Altace), and others.

References:

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Getting to Know Herbs: Cayenne

Key Points

History

Where is it found?

What's it used for?

Are there any risks?