Cayenne Pepper or Capsicum annuum is a member of the Solanaceae family. It’s related to other capsicums, including sweet bell peppers, jalapeños, poblanos, serranos, and the notoriously spicy ghost peppers. While not nearly as hot as the ghost pepper, the cayenne pepper still packs quite a punch.
The cayenne pepper is said to originate from Cayenne, French Guiana. It’s commonly dried and ground into a fine powder. It’s also used fresh in many recipes.
Health Benefits
Cayenne peppers can provide a variety of health benefits. These include:
Pain Relief
Cayenne peppers, like other spicy peppers, have capsaicin, the compound that gives them their “heat”. Applied topically, capsaicin can help to alleviate pain by reducing the amount of a neuropeptide known as substance P that travels to the brain to signal pain. With less substance P, feelings of pain decrease.
Digestive Health
Capsaicin stimulates the nerves in your stomach that send signals for protection against injury. The pepper may help to increase the production of digestive fluid, send enzymes to the stomach to aid in digestion, and provide extra protection to the stomach against infections.
Reducing High Blood Pressure
Based on animal studies, capsaicin may help to reduce high blood pressure, which also reduces the risk of developing heart disease.
Reducing Cancer Risk
Some studies show that capsaicin can slow cancer cell growth. It may even be able to kill cancer cells for certain types of cancer, including prostate, skin, and pancreatic.