Simple Pantry Solutions: Cayenne

by Laurie LaRusso, MS, ELS

Sometimes the medicine you need is right there in your pantry and kitchen. From cooking and cleaning to fighting infection, your kitchen and pantry probably have something that can help.

Cayenne contains a compound called capsaicin, which provides both the hot, mouthwatering

Medical research suggests that cayenne may have the following health-promoting abilities:

• Relieving pain, such as the pain of arthritis, cold sores, shingles, neuropathy, and surgical recovery
• Improving digestion
• Relieving congestion by thinning mucus and helping to move it out of the airways
• Lowering blood cholesterol levels

However, the most convincing evidence refers only to external use of cayenne for pain relief. If you have a chronic or serious medical condition, you should not simply self-medicate with cayenne. Instead, see your health care provider regularly and discuss using cayenne or capsaicin cream to relieve symptoms.

To treat localized painful conditions, try applying capsaicin cream (0.025 to 0.075 percent capsaicin) to painful areas four times daily. Do not apply the cream to the same location for more than two to three days at a time, to avoid excessive irritation of sensitive nerves.

Cayenne is spicy and can therefore cause irritation of the skin, eyes, and stomach (though it does not worsen duodenal ulcers). Wash your hands after handling cayenne or capsaicin cream to avoid getting it in your eyes. If capsaicin cream or cayenne irritates your skin or stomach, stop taking it. Do not apply cayenne or capsaicin cream to broken or irritated skin, or mucous membranes.

Capsaicin cream may increase the risk of cough in people taking blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors.

Do not use cayenne or capsaicin cream medicinally for children under the age of two.

Although, cayenne and capsaicin are considered safe for use during pregnancy, check with your health care provider if you intend to use them medicinally during pregnancy or breast-feeding.