Can Cayenne Pepper Benefit Your Health? It Depends on How You Use It
Key takeaways:
Cayenne pepper is a type of fresh hot chili pepper. It’s also the name for the ground spice made from the pepper. Cayenne pepper adds a spicy heat to foods such as chili, soups, and barbeque.
Cayenne pepper can also be taken as a supplement. Its active ingredient, capsaicin, may help lower cholesterol, support digestive health, and provide pain relief when used topically.
Even though cayenne pepper is good for you, you won’t get too many health benefits from eating it in food (either fresh or ground as a spice). That's because cayenne pepper is too spicy to eat in large quantities.
If you like spicy food, you’re probably familiar with cayenne pepper. This hot chili pepper adds fiery heat to your favorite dishes. You can eat it fresh — or dried and ground into a spice (you may even have a bottle sitting in your spice rack). Cayenne pepper is also a popular ingredient in bottled hot sauces.
When taken as a supplement or used topically (on the skin), cayenne pepper may have many health benefits. Read on to learn how cayenne pepper may benefit your health.
Is cayenne pepper good for you?
Capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper, has many health benefits.
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Fresh cayenne peppers also contain vitamin C and other antioxidants. But you won’t get too many nutrients or health benefits from eating cayenne pepper in food — either fresh or ground as a spice. That's because cayenne pepper is too spicy to eat in large quantities.
Supplements and topical creams contain capsaicin at higher concentrations. This may provide real health benefits. Therapeutic doses of cayenne pepper or capsaicin are usually 2 mg to 5 mg per day. For comparison, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper used in a meal is typically about 0.1 mg. This is nowhere close to the medicinal dose.
Supplements or topical creams may use the word “cayenne” or “capsaicin” depending on the brand. They’re the same thing.
Cayenne pepper benefits for health
Capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper, is thought to have many health benefits. Studies suggest that capsaicin acts as an antioxidant, antitumor agent, and pain reliever.
Here are some of the health conditions that may benefit from the capsaicin in cayenne pepper. Note that these studies — and most studies on cayenne — are on supplements or topical creams, not fresh or ground cayenne peppers.
1. Pain relief
Cayenne has been used for centuries to treat pain. In some cases, it’s used as an oral formulation for pain. More often, it’s available in topical creams or patches that you apply directly to the skin.
Is spicy food good for your health? Spices and peppers that contain capsaicin may improve your gut health, lower blood pressure, and more. But spicy foods aren’t for everyone.
The best spices to add to your veggies: Here are the spices that will boost your veggies’ flavor and provide health benefits.
How long do spices last? Spices can retain their flavor for 1 to 4 years, but this varies depending on the form of the spice. Whole spices last the longest.
When used topically on the skin, cayenne pepper may:
Help reduce pain caused by arthritis, nerve damage, or sore muscles
Reduce lower back pain by blocking or reducing substance P, a peptide that carries pain messages to the brain
Relieve itchiness and inflammation associated with psoriasis
2. Metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put people at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Capsaicin supplements may help protect against metabolic syndrome by:
Raising levels of the “good” cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
Lowering levels of the “bad” cholesterol low-density lipoprotein (LDL), as well as triglycerides
Boosting insulin sensitivity
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3. Cancer
Research suggests that capsaicin has anti-tumor properties. Capsaicin-based medicines may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells, namely in bladder and prostate cancers.
Studies on capsaicin for other types of cancer have only been conducted in animals and in lab studies. So more research is needed.
4. Weight management
A few studies support using capsaicin supplements for weight management. According to these studies, capsaicin may:
Help break down fats
Increase how full you feel (satiety), which can help reduce overall calorie intake
Capsaicin may also boost the body’s metabolic rate, which can help you burn fat more easily. And capsaicin helps activate body receptors called TRPV1. This may help prevent obesity by blocking fat cells from being made.
5. Digestive health
The spiciness of cayenne pepper may help with digestion by increasing gastric (stomach) juices and enzymes that help break down food.
Cayenne pepper may also have some prebiotic effects. This means it may help increase the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome.
What are the side effects of cayenne pepper?
Eating foods that contain cayenne pepper can produce a burning or tingling sensation on the lips, tongue, and esophagus due to the spicy heat. Some people love this feeling, while others find it uncomfortable. The best way to relieve the burning is by drinking milk.
For some people, cayenne pepper and capsaicin supplements may cause stomach pain or irritation. It’s best to stop using cayenne pepper if this happens to you.
When you cook with cayenne pepper, be sure to wash your hands after use and avoid touching your eyes: It stings.
Who should not take cayenne pepper?
Enjoying spicy foods made with cayenne pepper is safe for most people. But cayenne pepper can sometimes trigger symptoms in people who have:
Gastric ulcers
Heartburn
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
This varies person to person though. What matters most is your personal tolerance for spice.
Some people with a latex allergy might have an allergic response to cayenne pepper. That's because some of the proteins look the same, so the body's immune response might mistake the protein in cayenne pepper for latex.
If you’re considering taking a cayenne supplement, it’s a good idea to first talk to a trusted healthcare professional. They can help you determine the correct dose and timing to meet your needs.
How to use cayenne pepper
In cooking, you can use cayenne pepper to add spice to foods in whatever small amount tastes good to you. Most recipes call for half a teaspoon or less. Cayenne pepper is most often used in:
Chili
Soups
Salad dressings and other sauces
Jerk seasoning
Spice rubs or marinades for fish, poultry, or meat
Frequently asked questions
Cayenne peppers register 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale (which measures the spiciness of hot peppers). For comparison, milder jalapeño peppers measure at 2,500 to 8,000. Super-hot Carolina Reapers measure above 1.5 million.
There’s no recommended daily intake amount for cayenne pepper, so it's a matter of taste. A dash of cayenne pepper spice on your meal usually provides around 0.1 mg. But experiment and see what amount you like. If cayenne pepper causes discomfort, cut back on the amount you're eating until you find the amount that’s right for you.
The bottom line
Cayenne pepper is used both as a spice for food and as a health supplement. As a food, cayenne pepper adds a spicy heat to dressings, soups, chili, sauces, and marinades. As a supplement, cayenne pepper — namely, its active component capsaicin — may support weight, cholesterol, and digestive health. When used in a topical cream, capsaicin may help relieve pain and itching and inflammation from psoriasis. Supplements may be called “cayenne” or “capsaicin.” But they’re the same thing.
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References
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