Tracey Roizman
Capsaicin, the compound that gives cayenne peppers their fiery kick, has been used for over 9,000 years as both a food and a medicine. Although it has undergone the rigors of numerous scientific studies and been found effective for several medicinal uses, consult your doctor before using it to treat a medical condition.
Pain Relief
Capsaicin offers pain-relieving benefits that can help alleviate headaches and manage arthritis symptoms, according to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author of the book "The Perricone Promise: Look Younger Live Longer in Three Easy Steps." In a study of patients with severe fibromyalgia, published in the July 2012 issue of the journal "Rheumatology International," topical capsaicin cream applied three times per day for six weeks provided significant short-term pain relief. Additionally, six weeks after stopping capsaicin, participants showed improvements in ratings for depression, fatigue, muscle pain and pressure-induced pain.
Weight Management
Capsaicin is considered a thermogenic agent, meaning that it stimulates the metabolism and calorie-burning, according to Baylor University. Capsaicin provides some of the same benefits of the drug ephedra, which was banned by the Food and Drug Administration, without the potentially hazardous health consequences associated with that drug. Capsaicin is listed along with caffeine and green, white and oolong teas for their ability to increase energy expenditure by up to 5 percent and oxidation of fat by up to 16 percent in a study published in the April 2010 issue of the "International Journal of Obesity."
Anticancer
Low rates of certain types of cancer in Latin American cultures, where capsaicin is consumed regularly, may imply a protective, anticancer effect of capsaicin against stomach, intestinal and colon cancers. Capsaicin may also offer cancer-inhibiting benefits against leukemia. A tissue culture study of human throat cancer cells published in the July 2012 issue of the "Yonsei Medical Journal" showed that capsaicin was effective at promoting early cell death. In another study, published in the November 2012 issue of the journal "Inflammation Research," capsaicin showed lung cancer preventive benefits in laboratory animals.
Anti-inflammatory
Capsaicin may help prevent chronic inflammation associated with premature aging and degenerative conditions such as heart disease. A study published in the 2012 issue of the journal "ISRN Pharmacology" found that capsaicin may help keep bones strong by inhibiting inflammation that can lead to decreased production of bone cells. In the laboratory animal study, capsaicin also suppressed production of cells that break down bone and decreased activity of cyclooxygenase-2, or COX-2, an enzyme that promotes inflammation.
References
The Perricone Promise: Look Younger Live Longer in Three Easy Steps; Nicholas Perricone
Rheumatology International: Short-Term Efficacy of Topical Capsaicin Therapy in Severely Affected Fibromyalgia Patients
Baylor University: Effects of Capsaicin and Evodiamine Ingestion on Energy Expenditure and Lipid Oxidation at Rest and After Moderately-Intense Exercise in Men
International Journal of Obesity: Thermogenic Ingredients and Body Weight Regulation
Yonsei Medical Journal: Capsaicin-Induced Apoptosis of FaDu Human Pharyngeal Squamous Carcinoma Cells
Inflammation Research: Capsaicin Inhibits Benzo(A)pyrene-Induced Lung Carcinogenesis in an in Vivo Mouse Model
ISRN Pharmacology: Capsaicin, a TRPV1 Ligand, Suppresses Bone Resorption by Inhibiting the Prostaglandin E Production of Osteoblasts, and Attenuates the Inflammatory Bone Loss Induced by Lipopolysaccharide
University of Maryland Medical Center: Cayenne
About the Author
Tracey Roizman has been a writer and speaker on natural and preventive health care since 1995. She holds a B.S. in nutritional biochemistry and a doctor of chiropractic degree, and is a postgraduate diplomate in chiropractic functional neurology.
Data: 29.12.2012
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