CAYENNE
Capsicum annuumCapsaicinCapsicumCayenneChili Pepper Cayenne pepper is a perennial in America, but is an annual when cultivated outside of the tropical zones. Growing to a height of three feet or more, its glabrous stem is woody at the bottom and branched near the top. The leaves are ovate to lanceolate, entire and petioled. The drooping, white-to-yellow flowers grow alone or in pairs of three between April and September. The ripe fruit, or pepper, is a many-seeded pod with a leathery outside in various shades of red or yellow. There is a host of hot chili varieties; serrano, yellow wax and jalapeno are the most common California chilies around. Capsaicin is the particular compound which accounts for the fiery properties in all chilies. A pharmacist, Wilbur Scoville, devised a way early in this century of scoring capsaicinoid content; hence, they are called Scoville Units. Most peppers fall into a range from 0 to 300,000 Scoville Units. Green bell peppers rate zero because they lack the necessary capsaicinoids. jalapenos measure 2,500 to 5,000, while the Tabasco peppers and Cayennes rank between 30,000 and 50,000. At the upper end of the scale are the Scotch Bonnet from the Caribbean and the Habanero from the Mexican Yucatan - both are a definite 300,000 each. These days, however, many Chile writers use a new system, the Official Chili Heat Scale, with a rating of 0 to 10. Bell peppers still fall to the bottom, with zero; jalapenos come in at 5, Tabasco and Cayennes at 8, and the Scotch Bonnet and Habanero at 10. The active ingredient in cayenne and other chili peppers, capsaicin, delivers the fiery kick to Mexican food, turns plain pickle juice into Tabasco sauce, makes ginger ale a real thirst quencher, lets the good times roll in Cajun cuisine, and makes curry powder a more interesting spice all around. Capsaicin, in fact, is able to first stimulate and then to desensitize the warmth detectors in the hypothalamus gland, so that a drop in body temperature is evident. This enables natives in hot southern climates like Central and South America and Africa, for instance, to tolerate the heat a lot better than we would. That's one of the reasons why they consume so much capsicum and other chili peppers, to keep themselves cool, believe it or not! The chemical capsaicin has a molecular structure very similar to vanilla, but a thermal rating equal to the molten hinges on the gates of hell! Some recent European studies have suggested that adding cayenne pepper to your meals not only boosts your vitamin C levels, but can also rev up your body's metabolism. It seems the capsaicin somehow "resets" the individual "fat thermostats" (called "brown fat"), which enables the body to bum off more fat through chemical combustion, rather than storing it in muscle tissue. Topical creams containing capsaicin are intended for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, simple backache, strains and sprains. Adults and children two years of age and above may safely use them. They should be applied to affected areas not more than four times daily. Transient burning may occur upon application, but usually disappears in several days. For optimum relief, the treatment should be continued every day, 3 to 4 times daily. CAUTION: Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after applying. Do not apply on broken skin or pre-existing rashes. Do not use with a heating pad. Keep it away from your eyes. The New England journal of Medicine reported that residents of Thailand have virtually no blood clot problems because of their frequent consumption of red pepper. If you use capsicum on a regular basis, you won't ever have to worry about getting blood clots! It also means you will have a reduced risk of ever suffering a stroke. If you're diabetic an average of 3 capsules of Nature's Way or any health food store brand of capsicum will help bring down high blood sugar levels very nicely. If you're hypoglycemic, you'd better avoid cayenne altogether, both in food and in herbal formulas as well. Although scientific evidence is still somewhat scant, a few medical studies have already suggested that including cayenne pepper and other chilies in your diet regularly should help reduce your risks of ever contracting viral pneumonia and other diseases of the respiratory system. In some ways not yet fully known to scientists, capsaicin is able to strengthen the lungs through improved immune defenses, so that infections can't set in so easily. Perhaps this phenomenon may be due to the high amount of vitamin C present in chili peppers. PARTS USED Fruit. USES Active constituents - Capsaicin is known to be the constituent responsible for stimulating the circulation and altering temperature regulation. Applied to the skin, capsaicin desensitizes nerve endings and it has been used in the past as a local analgesic. The capsicidins, found in the seeds are thought to have antibiotic properties. Warming stimulant - The herb's heating qualities make it a valuable remedy for poor circulation and related conditions. In particular, it improves blood flow to the hands and feet and to the central organs. External uses - Applied locally to the skin, cayenne is mildly analgesic. Cayenne is also rubefacient, increasing blood flow to the affected part, and this helps to, stimulate the circulation in "cold" rheumatic and arthritic conditions, aiding the removal of waste products and increasing the flow of nutrients to the tissues. Cayenne is also applied to unbroken chilblains, and powder placed inside the socks is a traditional remedy for those prone to permanently cold feet. Internal uses - Cayenne is taken to relieve gas and colic, and to stimulate secretion of the digestive juices, thereby aiding digestion. It helps to prevent infections from establishing themselves in the digestive system and will counter infection if present. A pinch of cayenne is excellent in gargles for sore throats. Finally, extraordinary as it may seem, cayenne is useful for some types of diarrhea. Other medical uses - Addictions, Lung cancer, Osteoarthritis, Tension headache. HOMEOPATHY The homeopathic remedy Capsicum is made from the chili pepper, which is still known in homeopathy by the name C. annuum. Medicinally, chillies are a powerful stimulant for the whole body, increasing blood flow and promoting perspiration. In the past they were used to treat infections. Complaints helped by this remedy are characterized by stinging pain in the bladder, thighs, back, ears, neck, and, when coughing, the chest. The pain resembles the burning sensation caused by eating or touching hot peppers. Capsicum is given for mouth ulcers, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, heartburn, rheumatism, and sore throats. People, who need Capsicum crave stimulants such as coffee, although these aggravate the burning pain.
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