Health Facts, Articles and Recipes

Cayenne Pepper

Article written by Kaye Sehm, posted 14 years ago

Something was terribly wrong. Sudden pain in the chest and shoulder, a feeling of pressure in the chest, feeling nauseous and incredibly tired, all indicated that he was having a heart attack. It was overpowering, he couldn't stop it. He wondered whether he would live or die as he was taken to the hospital where he was told he needed a heart bypass surgery.

Bypass surgery is now quite common. After preparing the patient, the surgeon cuts the chest open with a bone saw, prises the ribs apart and opens the sack enclosing the heart. The heart is cooled with iced salt water, while a preservative solution is injected into the heart arteries. This process minimizes damage caused by reduced blood flow during surgery. A cardiopulmonary bypass must be established. Plastic tubes divert the blood to a heart lung machine which returns the oxygenated blood to the body. The main aorta is clamped off to maintain a bloodless field and to allow bypasses to be connected to the aorta.

Meanwhile another surgeon opens the leg from the ankle to the knee to remove the saphenous vein. This vein is the most commonly used vessel for each bypass. This is sewn or grafted into the heart. The other end of this vein is attached to the aorta. At the end of surgery, the sternum is wired together with stainless steel and the chest incision is sewn closed. Plastic tubes (chest tubes) are left in place to allow drainage of any remaining blood from the space around the heart. About 5% of patients require exploration within the first 24 hours because of continued bleeding after surgery. Chest tubes are usually removed the day after surgery.

The breathing tube is usually removed shortly after surgery. Patients usually get out of bed and are transferred out of intensive care the day after surgery.

Up to 25% of patients develop heart rhythm disturbances within the first three or four days after bypass surgery. These rhythm disturbances are usually temporary atrial fibrillation, and are felt to be related to surgical trauma to the heart. Most of these arrhythmias respond to standard medical therapy that can be weaned one month after surgery. The average length of stay in the hospital for bypass surgery has been reduced from as long as a week to only three to four days in most patients. Many young patients can even be discharged home after two days. But surgery should be your last choice because, 40% of those having heart surgery suffer long term mental dysfunction. Surgery only provides temporary relief, and never addresses the cause of the disease, this insures you will have regular visits to the doctor's office along with lifelong prescriptions refills. Your doctor doesn't have a safe, simple or inexpensive solution to clean your arteries. But you can be confident in knowing you have a choice. You can get off any long term drug treatment and break out of the vicious cycle and solve your own health problems.

Dick Quinn, after suffering his heart attack and bypass surgery, was sent home. He tried to take long walks but felt faint after the least exertion. An acquaintance spoke to him of cayenne pepper and how she believed this would help him. How could this woman know what to do for a heart attack, surely his doctors had all the answers. Dismissing this suggestion as preposterous, he went back to his doctor who told him his recovery was progressing nicely.

Yet he knew this was not the case. His energy levels were extremely low. Every day he got weaker and weaker, and now he suffered periods of blindness. He realised he was dying. Six months after his surgery his doctor told him he needed another bypass. He knew he was in real trouble. Then he remembered the words of the woman who earlier in his recovery suggested he take cayenne pepper. What had he to lose. He was close to dying. He stopped off at the grocery store and bought some, filled some old capsules and took them. What happened was most amazing.

His recovery

When he awoke the following day he felt much better. He noticed that his porch had some snow on the roof and forgetting how weak he was he started to shovel the snow off the roof. He finished the entire roof before he realised what he had done. Then he remembered the cayenne pepper and knew why he felt much better. Running to the kitchen he took three more capsules and has been taking it every day since.

Since then, Dick Quinn has not taken any prescription drugs for any other sickness. His blood pressure went down. He threw away his angina and nitroglycerine tablets. What was in this herb called cayenne pepper?

About 95% of all heart attacks occur in a coronary artery that has become narrow because of cholesterol and plaque. Stress causes the arteries to narrow. A blood clot can block the artery completely, shutting off blood supply to the heart and causing a heart attack. Studies conducted in Thailand show cayenne prevents a heart attack or stroke before it happens by lowering fibrin in your blood, so blood clots can't form. Fibrin is a blood protein that causes clotting. Caffeine and most other stimulants cause the arteries to contract, raising the blood pressure and forcing the blood through with more power. It's like tightening the nozzle on a garden hose. You get power, but you pay a high price in damage to your body.

Cayenne "jump starts" your heart and sends a surge of energy through your body. Your arteries open wide, so your body gets the circulation it needs without straining your heart. It doesn't raise the heartbeat or blood pressure. Unlike caffeine, cayenne is good for you. It is nature's most powerful stimulant.

Herbal healers have used cayenne to stop internal and external bleeding, treat shock and in other life threatening emergencies for thousands of years now. There are hundreds of uses for cayenne, but its most important role involves the heart and circulation. Improved circulation is the key to better health in many ways.

Red cayenne pepper is one of the most beneficial herbal medicines that we have. We can do wonderful things with it that we are unable to do with any known herb. It should never be classed with black pepper, vinegar or mustard. These are irritating, while cayenne pepper is soothing. While cayenne pepper smarts a little, it can be put on an open wound, either a fresh wound or an old ulcer, and is very healing; but black pepper, vinegar and mustard are irritating to an open wound and do not heal. Red cayenne is one of the most stimulating herbs known to man that causes no harm or reactions.

Good for circulatory system

Cayenne (red pepper or capsicum) is a medicinal and nutritional herb. This herb is a great food for the circulatory system in that it feeds the necessary elements into the cell structure of the arteries, veins, and capillaries so that these regain the elasticity of youth again, and the blood pressure adjusts itself to normal.

Cayenne is a fruit belonging to the Solanacae family of 5 species and 300 varieties of plants that produce fleshy vegetable pods called capsicums. It contains capsaicin which gives it its stimulating action. African Cayenne it the most potent (or hottest) along with the Indian Cayenne.

Cayenne's potency is measured in heat units. African Cayenne has 90,000 or more heat units. Cayenne may be purchased from a health food store, but make sure you have a hot cayenne with a high heat count, as much sold is not very hot. While a supermarket cayenne is better than nothing, it has only heat units of around 4,000. Another way is to grow your own, harvest, dry and grind them into powder. It grows abundantly in the West Indies where the negroes count it almost certain remedy for nearly all their maladies. They have no fears of fatal effects from fevers, even the devastating yellow fever, if they can get plenty of cayenne. They not only drink the tea, but they chew and swallow the pods one after the other. It produces the most powerful impression on the skin, yet never makes a blister; on the stomach, yet never weakens the tone.

Cayenne is rich in Vitamins A, B, C, B1, B2, and B12, zinc and niacin. It contains organic calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and other nutrients. It rebuilds the tissue in the stomach and heals stomach and intestinal ulcers by equalizing the circulation. Cayenne produces natural warmth and in stimulating the peristaltic motion of the intestines, it aids in assimilation and elimination.

When the venous structure becomes loaded with sticky mucus, the blood has a harder time circulating, therefore higher pressure forces the liquid through. Cayenne regulates the flow of blood from the head to the feet so that it is equalised; it influences the heart immediately, then gradually extends its effects to the arteries, capillaries and nerves. The frequency of the pulse is not increased, but it is given more power.

Use as poultice, take internally or sprinkle on bleeding wounds

A hemorrhage is a frightening condition. If someone has a hemorrhage in the lungs, stomach, uterus or nose, take a teaspoon of cayenne in a glass of extra warm water until it stops. I have heard the story of a woman who had been having a heavy menstrual flow for 18 months. She had been to the Doctors and nothing seemed to stop it. She took three teaspoons of cayenne pepper in water every hour (not during bedtime) and after 15 doses, it finally stopped. It equalises the blood pressure from the top of the head to the feet so this keeps the pressure from the hemorrhage area, so it will clot naturally.

It is effective as a poultice or plaster for rheumatism, inflammation pleurisy, and is helpful if taken internally for these. Some years ago I was in the situation to experiment using different poultices on a stiffened ankle (which had been broken a year prior to the treatment). The person told me that the most helpful and beneficial poultice was using cayenne. I can remember her deciding to keep it on all during the day as well as night time because it was giving her lots of relief.

It can be used on sporting injuries. Used as a poultice on muscular and ham-string injuries it shortens the recovery time significantly. Sprinkle on a cloth or paper towel that has been lightly coated with olive oil or castor oil. When this is placed over an injury and secured in place, it will bring more blood flow to the area and there will be a sensation of burning. (The more acid in your system, the more the cayenne will burn). It will continue to feel as if it is burning even after it has been removed. Try to keep it on as long as you can. Even though it may feel like it is on fire, it will do no harm and will not blister the skin.

Sprinkle it liberally on a bleeding wound and it will arrest the flow. There have been many times when I have cut myself in the kitchen, and the first thing I grab is the cayenne. Depending on the severity, you may need to apply pressure to the wound. Apply a bandage or bandaid over the cayenne pepper. Wounds that have been treated this way heal much quicker than untreated wounds. Keep a supply in your kitchen for these times when you cut yourself. This is a wonderful home remedy.

Circulation5 Cayenne needs to be used generously when there is a circulatory problem. The quickest way to get it into the system is to stir a half to one teaspoonful into water or some juice (or soy milk) and drink it. If this is too much, start with ¹/₄ teaspoon 3 times daily, building it up to 1 teaspoon 3 times daily. Always take cayenne with food except in an emergency situation as it may cause a burning sensation as it is so stimulating and it may make you feel faint when it begins to do its work. It is much easier to take cayenne immediately prior to eating. The food stops the burning. Your throat will burn for some time after drinking it, this is normal. Just remember what good it is doing to you. After taking it over a period of time, it becomes much easier to take and burns less. Obviously, it also can be taken sprinkled on food. A famous American Herbalist says that if it burns, it means you need it badly. It seems that if your have a build up of uric acid in your body, it will burn more. You can take capsules filled with cayenne, but powder is much better.

Cayenne stimulates the liver and gall bladder to promote the flow of bile. Cayenne is the best food for circulation. A diabetic person has a circulation problem. Cayenne reduces the mucus in the body systems and the result is good circulation. Cayenne is a circulatory stimulant.

Phenominal power of cayenne

Here is a true story about the phenomenal powers of cayenne taken from a book entitled, "The Healing Miracles of Cayenne Pepper."

"In 1870 there was lumberjack named James McCann, a young man who started to go back to the states by way of California. He reached Parowan with both feet frozen above the ankles. He was left with me (Dr Meeks) to have both feet amputated as it was thought there was no possible chance to save his life without amputation. "An impulse seemed to strike my mind as though by inspiration that I would give him cayenne pepper inwardly and see what effect that would have on his frozen feet.

"I commenced by giving him rather small doses at first, one teaspoonful at a time. It increased the warmth and power of action of the blood to such as degree that it gave him such pain and misery in his legs that he could not bear it. He laid down on his back and elevated his feet up against the wall for three to four days and then he could sit up in a chair.

"The new flesh would form as fast as the dead flesh would get out of the way. In fact, the new flesh would seem to crowd the dead flesh to make room for the new."

"That was the all the medical treatment he had and to my astonishment and that of everyone else who knew of the circumstances, the 16th day after I gave him the first dose of cayenne, he walked nine miles from Parowan to Red Creek and back. Both his feet were saved. He lost but five toenails.

"Cayenne purifies the blood. I am convinced that there is nothing like cayenne and you will find it applicable in all cases of sickness."

Aids digestion, assimilation and elimination

One of the most common herbal use of cayenne is as a gastric stimulant and digestive aid. It rebuilds the stomach tissue and stimulates peristalsis. Thus it is very helpful in assimilation and elimination. Stomach ulcers can be extremely painful. It has proved to be very effective in healing gastric ulcers. The natives in the West Indies don't fear the deadly yellow fever - as long as they have a good supply of cayenne..

Cayenne (powdered) taken in some liquid and given to a heart attack victim brings them out of the heart attack in two minutes. The cayenne expands the cell walls, goes directly to the heart and stimulates it to beat properly. Dr Cristopher's advice for someone who has suffered heart attack, if they are conscious is: prepare one teaspoon of cayenne in one cup of warm water. Prop the person and have them drink quite quickly the cayenne tea. The heart attack will stop in about two minutes. *Important: Make sure the person is able to swallow it.

Other uses

* One of the best liniments in use is prepared as follows: Boil gently for 10 minutes, one dessertspoon of cayenne pepper and 500 mls of cider vinegar. Bottle while hot and unstrained. This makes a powerfully stimulating external application for deep-seated congestion, sprains etc.

* A little cayenne sprinkled into shoes will greatly assist when suffering from cold feet. It can be sprinkled into the socks. Don't place too much or your feet will be too warm.

* Cayenne given in half teaspoon doses mixed with honey and slippery elm, given at night is a valuable remedy for a cough. * Cayenne has been known to relieve all body systems with proper nutrition and detoxification. It has relieved paralysed conditions of strokes, even if the person has been in a wheelchair. It is known to have restored paralysed limbs to usefulness.

* Cayenne poultices or plasters can be used for incessant coughing, sinus headaches, frozen hips, gout pain, hay fever, pleurisy, bruising, glandular fever and edema.

* Do not use cayenne from the grocery store (only as a last resort). Only use herbs that have not been irradiated. Purchase cayenne from your local heath store.

* Remember that it is measured in heat units. The more potent the herb, the more heat units it will have.

In summary

Summarising the uses of cayenne pepper: it heals stomach ulcers, stops and prevents heart seizures, increases circulation, cauterizes open wounds, use for colds and flu, gastro-intestinal and bowel problems, as a digestive aid, it stimulates the flow of saliva as well as stomach secretions, it helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and the tendency for blood to clot internally, alleviates a heart attack, use for arthritis and sore muscles, use as a poultice for many ailments, has pain relieving and analgesic properties for chronic pain, use for cold feet, and contains capsaicin, a chemical that absorbs free radicals in the liver, and thereby prevents them from turning into cancerous substances.

Perfect health depends upon perfect circulation. Cayenne pepper can be a wonderful help to attain this.

School of Natural Healing - Dr John Cristopher
Left for Dead by Dick Quinn
Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss

Article written by Kaye Sehm, posted with permission.

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