What you didn’t know about cayenne pepper (red pepper)

Cayenne pepper in traditional medicine

For over 9,000 years, Native Americans have used cayenne pepper as a food and medicine. This is mainly due to the substance called capsaicin. This hot substance in this red pepper is known for its pain-relieving properties. In traditional medicine we find this hot pepper in Japan, China, Korea and India. There it is used, among other things, for digestive problems and lack of appetite. Many people think that the cayenne pepper comes from Indonesia, but that is not true. The pepper originates from South America and it was the Dutch who introduced the plant to Indonesia.

Cayenne pepper as a disease fighter

Although cayenne pepper is mainly known in Western society as a seasoning and not as a medicine, the red pepper has several medicinal functions. For example, did you know that half a teaspoon of red pepper contains no less than a quarter of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A? Vitamin A is an antioxidant that is extremely good for the immune system. That makes it a broad disease fighter and preventer. In addition, there is also a relatively large amount of vitamins B2, B6 and E in the plant and the minerals potassium and manganese are also present.

Lose weight and more energy with cayenne pepper

In addition, the active ingredient capsaicin ensures that your blood flows faster and that your body temperature is increased. The body wants to keep the temperature constant, so it has to work harder. This allows you to burn calories faster and therefore lose weight faster. In addition, scientists suspect that cayenne pepper increases the supply of oxygen to the tissues in the body. That means your overall energy level will go up. Many also claim that the substance prevents increased blood pressure. However, no scientific research has been done on this yet.

Cayenne pepper as a pain reliever

Finally, we would like to mention the most well-known function of the cayenne pepper, namely the analgesic effect. The hot red pepper is a natural pain reliever with efficacy comparable to paracetamol and Neurofen. Why should we still take painkillers? The pepper contains neuropeptide substance P that counteracts pain and inflammation. It also works against stomach pain and menstrual complaints. A capsaicin cream can also provide pain relief in rheumatism.

Healthy and versatile

It is obvious that the effect of cayenne pepper in Western society is greatly underestimated. We already knew that the pepper helps against (chronic) colds, but now we know that it has many more functions. Does this red pepper also have a function for you or do you use it for something? Let us know in a comment what the pepper does for you!

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