8 Reasons To Include Cayenne Pepper In Your Diet

Are you looking to add some spice and flavor to your meals while improving your health? Cayenne pepper might just do the trick! With all sorts of vitamins and minerals, and many healing properties, it’s time to consider sprinkling some of this South American-based pepper onto your dishes! Whether your goal is to boost your metabolism, boost your immunity, treat your blood pressure, or keep your heart healthy, here are 8 reasons why cayenne pepper is amazing!

1. Boosts Metabolism

If you’re looking to maintain a healthy weight and even feel less hungry, studies show that cayenne pepper is the perfect solution. This is due to the capsaicin, which is what gives all peppers their spicy kick. Studies have found that this compound produces extra heat in our bodies which in turn burns fat and calories. In fact, spicy peppers such as cayenne can boost our body’s metabolic rate by as much as 20 percent and it can last for 2 hours!

2. Assists in Digestive Function

It goes without saying that good health starts and ends with proper digestive function. By adding some cayenne pepper to your dishes, you’ll get what you need to accelerate the digestive process. It boosts heart action and helps your stomach digest food properly by delivering enzymes more quickly. We’ll eat to that!

3. Might Lower Blood Pressure

According to some research, the capsaicin found in cayenne pepper can work wonders on your blood pressure. How? By opening up blood vessels and increasing blood flow. Your blood pressure goes down as the rate of blood flowing through your system goes up. In addition, this compound helps regulate the neuro-hormonal system, which also helps with blood flow. If you have high blood pressure and are taking medication for it, this isn’t to suggest you can toss it into the garbage can. Just use cayenne as a supplement.

4. Acts As a Pain Reducer

Applying cayenne pepper to parts of your body can actually reduce pain! It’s not just something we whipped out of thin air either; this is according to a study by the University of Maryland Medical Center. How is this possible? When rubbing the pepper onto an area that hurts, the capsaicin suppresses substance P, a chemical responsible for delivering pain messages to the brain. This provides relief. In fact, if you look at the list of ingredients in pain ointments, you will notice that capsaicin is in virtually all of them. But that’s not the only way the pepper alleviates pain. Do you suffer from migraines? In some cases consuming cayenne can help with that! Finally, if you develop cramps, applying cayenne can help bring nerve-to-muscle communication back into proper alignment.

5. Cancer Preventative

According to numerous research studies, capsaicin can literally kill cancer cells. In addition, it can slow down the ability of cancer cells to travel across the body. Studies on patients with different types of cancers — prostate, breast, colon, and lung — found that they benefited from consuming cayenne. Other studies have found that capsaicin can also prevent the growth of tumors.

6. Can Heal Toothaches

If you suffer from painful toothaches, using cayenne pepper might be just the cure! It might sound old-fashioned, but there is a lot of evidence that it works! What capsaicin does is work as a counter-irritant and even alleviates the pain deep within the tooth.

7. Protects The Heart

We’ve already mentioned how cayenne pepper is beneficial in allowing blood vessels to flow properly and lowering blood pressure, so naturally this will help your heart work well. Furthermore, cayenne prevents blood clots, which are often a culprit when an individual suffers from a heart attack. From heart palpitations to irregular heartbeat and blood circulation problems, cayenne can regulate all of these functions and potentially add years to your life.

Although more research would be warranted, there is anecdotal evidence that cayenne pepper can benefit patients as they are suffering from a heart attack — in as little as 30 seconds! Furthermore, a good dose of cayenne pepper can also help with diabetes, another illness that contributes to heart disease. Finally, cayenne might reduce plaque in the arteries, which in turn leads to lower cholesterol levels

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8. Improves Immunity

Although this is another potential benefit that needs additional research to confirm, it is possible that the antioxidants in cayenne pepper can serve as an immunity booster. Since the heat in the pepper warms up your body, this might help strengthen your immune system.