Cayenne Pepper FAQ

This cayenne pepper FAQ about will address the most common questions I receive on cayenne pepper as well as those questions that may arise in the future. This page will grow in time as well for I'm constantly getting questions from interested parties.

Also, if you do have a question about cayenne, please consult this page first before emailing me as it will most likely answer your question.

You can keep cayenne pepper powder for up to a year if it's stored in a fairly cool place at room temperature. It's been suggested that the best way to store cayenne pepper powder is in a hermetically sealed can. If you do that, it should last two to three years. It shouldn't be put in paper bag, though.

Again, as mentioned, I just put mine in a plastic bag that I buy it in and put it in the refrigerator.

Question: How many times a day did you drink cayenne pepper water to initially cure your hemorrhoids?
Answer: In all honesty, just once and it reduced the swelling in two days. The itching, bleeding and blood vessel swelling all went away. You should change your diet too. More fiber via fruits, grains and vegetables is ideal.

Question:  And as far as when to drink, I understand that post workout is a bad idea, but what about in relation to meals? Thanks for your insight.
Answer: Ideally, it's best to drink cayenne pepper half an hour after eating or half an hour or so before eating. The general rule of thumb is to not drink any liquid of any kind with food for a bare minimum of 15 minutes, or until the food has had a chance to pass out of the stomach.

It's not ideal to drink cayenne and then to take a meal or having it with a meal. By taking it alone with water, you give yourself optimum benefit and you'll actually get less stomach agitation although it will, to be honest, agitate the stomach nonetheless. The two most demanding physiological events in our bodies are digestion and coital orgasms. No comment on the second one but as for digestion and cayenne, it's really best to take cayenne alone.

Question: Is there any reason why you couldn't put cayenne pepper in another drink? I thought about trying something along the lines of sugar free drink mixes like Crystal Light. I just want to make sure that what I'm mixing it with doesn't negate the effect of the cayenne pepper.
Answer: The water ideally should be really warm. Not lukewarm, not hot like tea or coffee, but somewhere between lukewarm and hot. That said, don't drink it if the water is too hot and thus is uncomfortable to you. Famed herbalist/naturopathic doctor Dr. John Christopher said hot was ideal for the heart. If you drink it cold, it still will have great benefits. Combining it with something else other than lemon or maple syrup is not ideal although certainly allowable. It should be taken alone with water for maximum effect. Adding lemon is great and maple syrup as well. In fact some think it's a wonder drink for weight loss as the singer/actress Beyonce used the cayenne pepper/lemon/maple syrup combination to great effect. That's debatable. I can understand why you'd want to consume it with Crystal Light but drinking cayenne pepper isn't as bad as some think. Just make sure you start small. I recommend no more than a quarter of a teaspoon with 1/8th of a teaspoon being the best place to start. If that's too much, try even less. Your body will quickly adapt.

Question: What are the ratios of cayenne to mcg (micrograms) and mg (milligrams) and ounces in practical terms?
Answer: One capsule of cayenne is equal to about 450 milligrams or .45 grams. To be precise, .45 grams = 0.015873 ounces. In real world practical terms, one 450 milligram capsule is about 1/4th to 1/3rd of a teaspoon.

Question: How much capsaicin is in cayenne per 1/4th of a teaspoon?
Answer: One typical capsule of cayenne pepper, which is about 1/4th to 1/3rd of a teaspoon has about .025% of capsaicin in it as far as I can tell based on my research of that. In other words, that's 1/4th of one percent of the cayenne in one capsule or 1/4th to 1/3rd of a teaspoon is capsaicin the active ingredient.

Question: How warm is the water you mix it with? Warmer than room temperature?
Answer: Again, somewhere between lukewarm and boiling hot. Cold works too, though. I'm used to mine warm now and that's the way I drink it. That's the optimal way.

Question: How many capsules should I start with?
Answer: Cayenne is very potent. One typical capsule of cayenne is about 1/4th or 1/3rd of a teaspoon so if you decide to add cayenne to your health regime, from experience, I wouldn't start with more than that.

Question: Hello, I found your website last week and began drinking the cayenne pepper water for a hemorrhoid problem.  I felt pretty good when I first started, reduced swelling and almost more energetic, but the last couple of days the problem has gotten worse and I seem to be in more pain.  I don't have a bleeding hemorrhoid problem, but it's more painful as of late.  Is this possible from constriction on the hemorrhoidal veins, or are new symptoms appearing?  I have been using about a 1/4 tsp for the last week.  What do you know of horse chestnut extract?  Thanks for the help, I hoped this would rid me of this problem, but hasn't yet.  Also, should I increase the amount used, would persistent use be more beneficial in fixing the problem, or should it have fixed the problem at this point? 
Answer: I do know cayenne will heal hemorrhoids if you take it consistently. For me it cleared it up in two days -- literally. I suggest increasing your intake to perhaps a half a teaspoon. Sometimes the body adapts really quickly. I have a relative in Santa Rosa, California who has terrible migraines. She's been taking cayenne for it and it's helped but not as effectively as previously. She decided to increase the amount she usually takes and it worked literally in minutes, she said.

While migraines are different from hemorrhoids, of course, perhaps increasing the dosage will help. I would also start eating nothing but fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits and grains for a few weeks to help the healing. Cayenne pepper does work, it really does, but its effects are compounding for the better when a high-fiber diet is combined with it. Sometimes, like in my case, cayenne works immediately and that's enough for people.

I can't see how cayenne would make the hemorrhoids more painful. I think what's happening is more symptoms are appearing. Keep taking it. Your blood might have a lot of build-up of mucous in it and that could be causing the new symptoms with the blood vessels there. What you describe sounds like a typical cleansing experience.

I am familiar with horse chestnut. I wrote an article on it about four years ago you can see it here if you're interested: www.nutritional-supplement-bible.com/horse-chestnut-extract.html.  I recommend horse chestnut too and if used in a sensible way with cayenne it will amplify your results.

Dr. John R. Christopher, the famed herbalist/naturopathic who passed away in Feb. 1983, told a story of a bodybuilder friend who had hemorrhoids so bad, he had to wear a belt. Upon seeing Dr. Christopher take his daily glass of cayenne pepper water, he asked him if that concoction would help. "Only if you take it," Dr. Christopher said. His friend started taking it and his hemorrhoids went away and he no longer had to wear the belt. Dr. Christopher. doesn't mention if his friend changed his diet at all but I'm betting he did.

I hope this helps. Again, I'm not a doctor but I'm only trying to help and I am not expecting anything in return for I only want to help people.

Question: Can I use cayenne for my eyes?
Answer: You should use cayenne in combination with other herbs for the eyes but only under a trained naturopathic/herbalist's care. While you could put a little cayenne in the eye, it would burn very badly. I've actually done this as a test for an herbalist friend told me cayenne won't hurt your eyes. (I was also wondering if it would really help my eyesight in that eye as I'm half-blind it it.) It burned badly but my eye, while it watered profusely, was just fine. Not the smartest thing to do but it didn't harm my eye. Don't do what I did. Cayenne is an accentuator to other herbs and should be used only with discretion, judgment and wisdom by a trained herbalist for eye problems. I've used an herbal formula called "eyebright", a Dr. Christopher formula and it works well. The amount of cayenne in the concoction, though, is very, very, very small. So, best answer: don't use it for your eyes directly. Be wise.

Question: Can cayenne pepper be used for a toothache?
Answer: Yes. Clean the cavity and place cotton saturated with cayenne pepper oil into your cavity. Cayenne will prevent tooth rot. You should see your dentist, though, as soon as possible. (That's a good question for this cayenne pepper FAQ.)

Question: When I started taking cayenne via a drink, I noticed a topical, isolated area (my neck) that became pink. It didn't happen to any other areas of my body, though. What is going on?
Answer: Not to fear. Cayenne is a "rubfacient" herb that will bring blood to the surface of the skin. It will bring toxins to the surface as well. This will go away and is not harmful. Remember, cayenne pepper or capsicum is very nourishing to the heart and to the venous system. Sometimes the face will go red with the flushing of blood to the surface. I recommend scaling back your intake of cayenne until your body adapts. While cayenne is a great medicinal herb, it still should be used with judgment and skill. I recommend starting with only one capsule or 1/8th to 1/4th of a teaspoon of cayenne in a glass of water -- that's it. Let your body have time to adapt.

Question: Why should the water in the cayenne pepper water drink or with the lemon cayenne pepper detox drink be hot or warm? Why does the warm water matter?
Answer: Let me quote Dr. Christopher, the famed herbalist and naturopathic doctor, as he says it best. "The warm [cayenne pepper] tea is faster working than capsules or cold tea because the warm tea opens up the cell structure -- makes it expand and accept the cayenne that much faster, and it goes directly to the heart, through the artery system, and feeds it with powerful food." I think that answers it.

Question: I believe in the health benefits of cayenne pepper but drinking it causes my stomach to get upset, although it does go away in 10 to 15 minutes or so.
Answer: Good question. I totally understand, and your experience is common. Drinking cayenne pepper water is not like drinking a strawberry milkshake, to be sure. Cayenne is a very, very powerful herb. One of its drawbacks, though, is that it's hard to drink. I understand that. I've had the same experience you've had too, by the way. Here's what I recommend: after you drink your daily cayenne pepper drink, just sit still and don't move around too much for a minimum of 10 minutes. It takes cayenne about 15 to 20 minutes to pass out of the stomach. I've found that by just sitting very still without too much moving around that the upset stomach feeling passes, and is barely noticeable IF I just sit at my computer or in my office chair or on my couch watching TV. I've also found that whenever I increase my dosage of cayenne, the old stomach upset comes back. However, I also notice my body adapts really quickly to it. Simple advice, I know, but it works. Remain as still as you can. You should never drink it before working out or after working out or you'll have the worst stomach ache you've ever had, and it will probably discourage you from ever doing it again. Considering cayenne's remarkable array of health benefits, I'm willing to be a little inconvenienced, but what you do is your choice.

Question: Is the belief "the hotter the better" the way it is with cayenne? When I take 100k Scoville Heat Unit cayenne it really burns in my stomach.
Answer: Yes and no. Yes, the additional heat due to the extra capsacin in the 100k SHU heat is very good for you, but no from a practical matter. Cayenne at 30 to 50k SHU is already plenty hot. It's barely tolerable for some at that heat level. If one persists with one capsule or 1/4th of a teaspoon of cayenne in warm water, that is sufficient. Dr. Christopher, the herbalist who popularized cayenne, drank it three times a day. (He used a full teaspoon at a time from what I've been able to find out. If anyone knows better, please let me know.) There is simply a trade off here. More heat is not necessarily good from a practical point of view. Sometimes, less is more and it's true, in my opinion, with cayenne. While it's not ideal, try taking cayenne after you have some food in your stomach. For optimal healing benefit, especially if you have stomach ulcers, it's best to take it alone.

Question: Does cayenne pepper make you smell like garlic can?
Answer: No! It doesn't work like that. I've never heard that reported -- ever! Garlic, yes. I know that from personal experience too, but not cayenne. I've never heard of that.

Question: Isn't just sprinkling it on my food enough?
Answer: In order to derive therapeutic health benefits from cayenne, sprinkling it on your food will provide some benefit but it won't be significant enough.

Question: I'm new to cayenne. How should I start taking it?
Answer: I'm not a doctor so I want that clear (see the disclaimer). I'm not diagnosing or prescribing anything. If you are going to supplement your health regime with cayenne (after clearing it with your doctor, of course), many cayenne beginners start with 1/8th to 1/16th of a teaspoon in two to three ounces of very warm water of no hotter than 35,000 to 45,000 SHU cayenne pepper. Many build up from there going to 1/4th to 1/2 to a full teaspoon in two to three ounces of very warm water. Hope that answers it adequately enough.

Question: What does "SHU" mean?
Answer: It is an acronym that means "Scoville Heat Units" and is a subjective indicator of the heat of the cayenne pepper. For more information on it, go to this page within this website.

Question: If it is drunk shortly before bed, will it keep people up, that is, will it cause insomnia?
Answer: Generally speaking, no, it won't. However, everyone is different. It doesn't bother me in the slightest as regarding insomnia, but it may perhaps others. The key is to start small and "stay small" if you will until your body really is acclimated to it. The best advice I can give about drinking cayenne is to sit still and not move around a lot after drinking it. That principle applies at any time it is imbibed.

It's a great question. There is a difference between chili pepper and cayenne pepper although it is a slight one. The key is the capsicum cultivar that the chili pepper is made from. Typically the average chili pepper is made from the following cultivars:

Question: One thing I am not clear about is whether there is any difference between cayenne pepper powder and chili powder as both of them comes from the same source. It seems that cayenne pepper has less heat than chili.
Answer: It's a great question. There is a difference between chili pepper and cayenne pepper although it is a slight one. The key is the Capsicum cultivar that the chili pepper is made from. Typically the average chili pepper is made from the following cultivars:

• Capsicum annuum, which includes many common varieties such as bell peppers, wax, cayenne, jalapeños, and the chiltepin.
• Capsicum frutescens (sometimes called Capsicum fastigiatum -- this is a synonymous classification), which includes malagueta, tabasco and Thai peppers, piri piri, African birdseye chili, Malawian Kambuzi.
• Capsicum chinense, which includes the hottest peppers such as the naga, habanero, Datil and Scotch bonnet.
• Capsicum pubescens, which includes the South American rocoto peppers.
• Capsicum baccatum, which includes the South American aji peppers (this info taken from Wikipedia for time).

I would recommend you go to the following URL for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capsicum_cultivars . Cayenne is made from the first two families, namely Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens; chili pepper from all of them. There's something special medicinally with the first two Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens. For optimal benefit, stick to cayenne pepper -- that's my educational opinion.

Question: Which is better for daily intake? Is it better to take the cayenne powder or the tincture?
Answer: Good question. The answer is the powder. The tincture can be useful for emergency situations or for putting in wounds but overall, the powder is best for daily intake, in my opinion.

I hope this cayenne pepper FAQ page has been useful to you.

Yours in health,
CayennePepper.info