Many of the health benefits attributed to hot peppers like cayenne peppers are linked to their capsaicin content. Peppers contain a variety of compounds called capsaicinoids, but capsaicin is the most abundant Capsaicin is also where many of the peppers health benefits come from. Even consuming a small amount of dried cayenne can render benefits, such as a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in meals. The peppers range in heat from 30,000 - 50,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale. This makes an average cayenne about 8 times hotter than an average jalapeno pepper. That’s quite a bit of heat, though still about 25 times less hot than a ghost pepper. Cayenne peppers can also be used fresh in dishes, but are a little harder to find outside of the powdered form, unless you grow them yourself. Learn more about cayenne peppers here, including nutritional value, flavor, heat levels and more.
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Because they are hot, eating cayenne peppers also can make us sweat, which causes fluid loss, temporarily reducing overall blood volume. Animal studies have shown some benefits, which may translate to human benefits as well. By incorporating them into your overall diet, you may able to better control your weight and boost metabolism. Note that the metabolism boost is small, but measurable, but also that people who eat spicy food regularly lose that benefit long term, as their body adapts to the constant intake. Some studies have show that people taking capsaicin supplements reduced their appetites by 10% or more. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in cayenne peppers, and all hot peppers. Got any questions? Ask away! I’m glad to try to help. Feel free to contact me anytime. According to the research, capsaicin induced approximately 80 percent of prostate cancer cells growing in mice to follow the molecular pathways leading to apoptosis. Research and clinical trials are continuous and ongoing, but hold a great deal of promise. It may also reduce the risk of stomach ulcers, which is opposite to what some believe. NOTE: This post was updated on 4/5/22 to include new information. It was originally published on 7/21/20.
