Hot stuff can heal you! I propose you make a ‘food date’ with chili pepper!
Cayenne pepper is very healing for the stomach and can prevent ulcers but how can that be? Most people think chili peppers will burn a hole in your gut faster than you could say, “hot chili pepper.” Maybe so for some of you.
While capsaicin, the heat-causing compound found in varying degrees in all chilies—would most likely light up an existing ulcer, it’s nevertheless been shown to destroy the ulcer-causing H. pylori bacteria while also helping certain cells squirt out juices that buffer the gastrointestinal tract’s lining and prevent lesions from forming in the first place.
Pathogenic tummy bugs aren’t the only bad boy’s capsaicin likes to burn. In a study headed conducted at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, it was discovered that capsaicin seduces prostate cancer cells into committing suicide, figuratively speaking, makes them blow their DNA brains out! This metabolic pathway is termed apoptosis. It’s programmed cell death of the bad cells. More specifically, the research team found that in mice, prostate tumors treated with capsaicin wound up one-fifth the size of similar untreated tumors!
A Korean study showed that even the cells of the deadly skin cancer, melanoma, are likewise vulnerable to capsaicin’s deadly charms. So even though our little ‘Ms. Capsaicin’ isn’t a very discriminating seductress, she’s apparently a really hot one!
Most of the pepper’s heat doesn’t come from the seeds, as is commonly assumed. It comes from the placenta, the white-colored strips lining the inside of the pod. The tiny sacs containing the hot stuff are produced there along with the seeds. These sacs (or vesicles) tend to burst easily, spewing their hell-raising elixir onto the totally innocent seeds. In the body, the heat-causing capsaicin numbs your sense of pain by blunting the effects of “Substance P,” a pain-causing chemical in your body.
Commercial capsaicin products are sold nationwide in patch form, gel, cream and roll-on. Even the powdered spice makes a great home remedy. I learned about it the hard way after I cut my finger and bled for probably 2 hours! To stop bleeding, all you need is pure cayenne powder, look in your spice rack. Cayenne pepper will help you stop the bleeding quickly. You can read about my story, and other benefits of red pepper by CLICKING HERE to read, Cayenne Pepper Stopped My Bleeding in 30 Seconds.
Also cool (or I guess I should say “hot” lol) is how eating peppers helps you lose weight. Think red, orange, green peppers, or the spice itself. The non-exercise thermogenesis (heat production) caused by ingesting peppers can cause a moderately active 38 year-old man to burn up to 600 extra calories a day. That’s nearly twice the number of calories the same man would burn during an hour-long bout of lovemaking! So next time you’re looking to add a little spice to your life, make a date with a chili pepper!
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
