CAYENNE

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PERSONALITY PROFILE - CAYENNE

 

In talking about Cayenne, I am talking about the ordinary, hot, red

pepper that most people associate with spicy food.

 

Perhaps you have heard stories of spicy foods contributing to ulcers,

along with warnings to avoid hot peppers. You may be wondering why it

is a recommended herbal remedy for numerous conditions. In my

experience and study, however, the paradox is really quite simple. In

herbistry, Cayenne is used in the dry, usually powdered, form and

NEVER used in a cooked or raw form. Cayenne in its dried and uncooked

form and in the proper dosage is a number one healer of bleeding

ulcers in the digestive tract. Cayenne in its cooked form is a major

irritation to the digestive tract and may contribute to ulcerous

conditions. Therefore for purposes of self-help in herbistry one would

never inflict cooked Cayenne or raw (undried) Cayenne peppers on one's

digestive tract.

 

Cooking Cayenne seems to turn the natural plant acids into a very

caustic substance that burns the delicate digestive linings. The acids

in fresh, raw hot peppers have a similar effect. Drying the hot pepper

however, cures the acids in such a way as to enhance their healing

properties while minimizing any caustic effect. In cooking food that

calls for hot spices to be added, I have found it best to add dried

Cayenne to the food after it is cooked, just prior to serving. In this

way, gets a healthy benefit along with the desired flavor and avoids

the irritations to the digestive linings.

 

Over and over again in my years of herbistry I have witnessed friends

totally " wowed " by the experience that ingesting dried, uncooked

Cayenne on a daily basis, and in the proper dosage, not only helps

heal bleeding ulcers, but goes a long way toward strengthening

digestion altogether, thus preventing further digestive

inconveniences. This has been true even for those friends who had

years of history behind them of hugging up to their bottles of

anti-acid preparations and stomach ulcer protectors after every meal!

 

There are a few herbs, Cayenne among them, that have an outstanding

personality trait of being quite efficient as a " carrier herb. "

Cayenne is often mixed, 1/8 part or more, into herbal formula, with

single herbs. The Cayenne will help hasten that formula or those herbs

being picked up by the blood and dispersed within the tissues, and

organs where they are needed, while greatly encouraging the body and

the herbs to work potently together. Although it is a carrier herb to

all parts of the body, epecially via the blood stream, it is

particularly effective in carrying and dispersing the healing agents

into the upper, half of the body (above the waist). This is one reason

that we often find Cayenne used with herbs intended to help the heart,

stomach, or head, for instance.

 

You may be interested to know that there are lots of choices of

Cayenne purchases out there in the world, including different shades

of reds and oranges. In ordinary grocery stores, Cayenne is sometimes,

labeled as " mild, " " medium,' " hot. " If you have access to herb

supplies from an herb or health food store, however, you'll find the

hotness of Cayenne is often rated in the thousands of HUs (heat

units). This includes everything from the average Chinese varieties

rated in 40,000 HUs, to the " blast-your-tongue " hotness of African

Bird Pepper, often rated at 100,000 HUs and more. The chemical

responsible for the hotness of Cayenne, as well as for its medicinal

effects, is capsaicin. This chemical causes a burning sensation in any

tissue it comes in contact with. Capsaicin stimulates the release of

Substance P, a chemical that acts on the nerves in a way that causes

them to transmit a pain signal in the early stages of use. With

repeated use of Cayenne, however, the nerves become inured to this

stimulation of Substance P, and subsequently respond with fewer and

fewer pain signals.

 

When you apply Cayenne ointments or liniments (there's a formula for

liniments in this chapter) you will be signaling the nerve endings in

the tissues to slow down their production of Substance P and therefore

slow down the pain signals being sent to the nerve cells, thus

reducing pain in an area of inflammation or strain, etc.

 

Of course this pain-relieving quality of Cayenne, along with its other

properties-stimulating circulation, helping to prevent shock, and

helping to stop bleeding-have many implications for internal as well

as external uses. For instance, Cayenne is used as an ointment or

liniment for arthritis, or many of the other " itises " that you might

encounter, like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis, and

even tennis elbow.

 

Even though you can buy commercial preparations which are called

" capsaicin ointments, " or which use the word " capsaicin " prominently

on the packaging, I have found that my homemade preparations of

Cayenne liniments and ointments are so effective that these store

items are rarely necessary, unless simply for convenience.

 

If you want to further investigate the pain relieving quality of

Cayenne for chronic pain situations, remember that the pain-relieving

quality of Cayenne is cumulative. This means that the pain relief will

increase the more often the liniment or ointment is used. This

cumulative, pain-relieving effect has been borne out in numerous

studies, including those done at the Medical College of Wisconsin at

Milwaukee, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and also at

the University of Vermont College of Medicine at Burlington. The

details of this research are interesting, but not necessary to explore

further here. I'm one of those who remember that something works, not

who says it works, or exactly why. You maybe one of these types also

after you've had the positive experiences with Cayenne that I have.

 

In my early days of herbistry I was a bit impatient and often thought

" more is probably better, stronger, or at least faster. " I quickly

wised up to the fact that the hottest Cayennes are overkill---creating

torturously hot tongue and bowel experiences, totally unnecessary to

the desired healing effect. Now that I am a Cayenne connoisseur of

many years' standing, I can confidently advise others to choose a

Cayenne of good flavor, color, and hotness that suits their own needs.

If you happen to be one of those people who winces at the thought of

anything spicy coming near your tongue or stomach, then start with a

mild Cayenne and a tiny pinch of a dose in juice, building up from

there to the amount and type of Cayenne needed for your purposes.

Tolerance can vary a great deal from person to person and Cayenne to

Cayenne.

 

Cayenne is the #1 choice in herbistry for help with shock and interal

bleeding, even with pets and livestock. I have saved many a pet and

stray animal from an undignified and untimely demise by administer dry

Cayenne directly onto the tongue.

 

 

--

Diana Gonzalez

 

 

 

 

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is

carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a

life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

-Unknown