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Medical Uses For Hot Chile Peppers
Although some chiles are quite hot, most are
valued for their soothing effects on the digestive system, relief
from symptoms of colds, sore throats and fevers, circulation,
especially for cold hands and feet, and as a hangover
remedie. Peppers can act as a heart stimulant which regulates
blood flow and strengthens the arteries, possibly reducing heart
attacks. Nutritionally, fresh chile peppers are an excellent source
of calcium and vitamin C. You can make a chile tincture (medicine),
especially from
the hottest varieties, by drying the peppers and grounding into a
powder. Use one or two tablespoons in warm water for relief
of may symptoms. Or pack chile powder into gel capsules for
use when making a tea is not convenient.
Capsaicin is a remarkable health-promoting substance. But since burning
and irritation are common side effects, it may be wise to start using it
slowly and building up a tolerance for larger quantities.
I don't vouch for any of the information here. Some I would put
under the category of "old wife's tales". Other remedies may work
like miracles. Try them at your own risk.
General Science : March 19, 2006
Hot chili peppers might help fight prostate cancer: Study
Capsaicin, the heat-generating element in the chili peppers that delights
spicy food lovers around the world, causes prostate cancer cells to kill
themselves, researchers said Wednesday.
A team of US cancer scientists found in tests on mice that capsaicin
could provoke apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in the cells behind
human prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in the United
States.
According to the scientists at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer
Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the tests showed
the potential of repressing the growth of the cancer cells in humans.
"Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate
cancer cells in culture," said the institute's Soren Lehmann.
"It also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumors
formed by those human cell lines grown in mouse models," he said.
To conduct their test, the researchers fed the heat-generating alkaloid
found in all types of chilis orally to mice. Lehmann said the dose was
equivalent to a 200 pound (90 kilogram) man eating from three to eight of
the ultra-hot habanero peppers three times a week.
The heat of habanero peppers registers up to 300,000 Scoville units,
compared to a maximum of 5,000 Scoville units for jalapenos and 175,000
for bird chilis popular in Southeast Asia and Africa, according to the
Chile Pepper Institute of New Mexico State University.
Lehmann's research team found that the capsaicin interfered with the
cancer cells' ability to avoid apoptosis, which occurs normally in
many tissues as they replace aged cells with new ones.
Cancer cells are able to mutate or change genes to avoid a programmed
dying off.
The team found that the doses of capsaicin induced about 80 percent of
prostate cancer cells to move toward apoptosis.
Prostate cancer kills about 221,000 people worldwide every year.
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Chile peppers, especially hotter varieties such as Cayenne and Habanero, can also be used externally as a remedy for painful joints, for frostbite, and applied directly to stop bleeding. They stimulate blood flow to the affected area, thus reducing inflammation and discomfort. Sprinkle a little powder into gloves or shoes to help stimulate circulation and keep the hands and feet warm. To make a liniment for external use, gently boil 1 tablespoon of hot pepper in 1 pint of cider vinegar. Do not strain, and bottle while hot.
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For toothaches, make an Oil out of Cayenne and make a plug out of cotton saturated with the oil. Press into the affected tooth cavity.
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Fresh or lightly cooked peppers are rich in Vitamin C; indeed this was first isolated in Hungary from bell pepper. However, these peppers are best known in medicine as sources of capsaicin which is used as an investigatory tool (since it stimulates liberation of Substance P, and is relied on as a cough inducing agent in laboratory studies) as well as a pain relieving medication for topical use in arthritis and neuropathies. Peppers which have pungency increase mucous secretion in the lungs and nose. The capsaicin of chile peppers is also used offensively in pepper sprays since it is very irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. Most of the older medical uses (such as dyspepsia) are not regarded as valid medications, but chile pepper is still used in Ayurvedic therapy to treat peptic ulcers. Currently, capsaicin is used topically in proprietary creams to treat pain and neuropathies, whereas formerly chile-impregnated plasters and poultices were similarly used. The addition of chile pepper to chicken soup (with accompanying garlic and other herbs) is recommended as a useful therapy for colds, sinusitis and bronchitis.
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Aside from their eye-opening flavor, perhaps the most surprising feature of chili peppers is their vitamin C content--91 milligrams in 1/4 cup of fresh chilies. Most people don't eat chili peppers in large quantities, but the amount of vitamin C is still significant. And red chilies (although not green ones) are full of beta-carotene. The nutritional aspect of hot peppers most interesting to researchers today, however, is capsaicin--the compound that gives chilies their "burn." Capsaicin seems to have a positive effect on blood cholesterol, and also works as an anticoagulant. And the "high" that some people experience when eating fiery chili-spiked foods is a perfectly safe one: Some scientists theorize that in response to the discomfort produced by the chilies' "burn," the brain releases endorphins--substances that, at high levels, can create a sensation of pleasure.
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In a study of 200 patients with psoriasis, application of a 0.025-percent capsaicin cream significantly reduced itching, scaling, thickness, and redness compared with patients who used a plain cream.
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A nasal application of capsaicin greatly ameliorated symptoms among 52 patients suffering from cluster headaches. Seventy percent of the patients benefitted when the capsaicin was applied to the nostril on the same side as the headache. When capsaicin was applied to the opposite nostril, patients did not improve.
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Stomach Ulcers - Cayenne Peppers may help Improve Condition
If you suffer from a peptic or duodenal ulcer, the last thing you might
consider taking is hot Cayenne Pepper. This goes against everything
you've ever heard about what aggravates an ulcer, the facts are that most
"spicy" foods do just the opposite.
Capsicum (Cayenne Pepper) can reduce pain which serves as a local
anesthetic to ulcerated tissue in the stomach and can even help to
control bleeding in the stomach. Some individuals may be bothered by
eating "Red Pepper" or spicy foods, these foods do not cause the
formation of gastric ulcers in normal people. An interesting note is that
people suffering from ulcers usually avoid Cayenne Pepper, in fact those
people may actually benefit from its therapeutic action.
Taking Capsicum may significantly reduce the risk of ever developing a
peptic ulcer. A Chinese study published in 1995 stated, "Our data
supports the hypothesis that the chile used has a protective effect
against peptic ulcer disease."1
Another 1995 study found that Capsicum can even protect the stomach
lining from aspirin induced ulcers.2
Aspirin can cause stomach ulceration in certain individuals or if taken
with too little water or juice. Researchers have concluded after
experimenting with human volunteers that the capsaicin content of
capsicum has a definite gastro - protective effect on the mucous
membranes of the stomach.3 Eighteen healthy volunteers with normal
gastrointestinal mucosa took chile and water followed by 600 mg of
aspirin and water. The study was conducted over a period of four weeks.
Endoscopy results showed that taking 20 grams of chile before the aspirin
definitely demonstrated a protective action on the stomach lining.4
Capsicum has the ability to rebuild stomach tissue. Capsicum has the
ability to bring blood to regions of tissue at a faster rate boosts the
assimilation of foods that are consumed with it. Several clinical
studies support this phenomenon. It has been thought that Capsicum
stimulate the release of substances which increase secretions in the
stomach and intestines plus can increase an abundance of blood to the
stomach and intestines.5 In fact, Capsicum can increases the flow of
digestive secretions from the salivary, gastric and intestinal glands
References: (1): J. Y. Kang, et al. "The effect of chile ingestion of
gastrointestinal mucosal proliferation and azoxymethane-induced cancer in
the rat." Journal of Gastroenterology-Hepatol. Mar-Apr. 1992: 7 (2):
194-98. 2 K. G. Yeoh, et al. "Chile protects against aspirin-induced
gastroduodenal mucosal injury in humans." Dig-Dis-Sci. Mar. 1995: 40 (3):
580-83. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. (5): L. Limlomwongse, et al. "Effect of capsaicin on
gastric acid secretion and mucosal blood flow in the rat." Journal of
Nutrition. 1979: 109, 773-77. See also T. Kolatat
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Chile Pepper Could Aid Weight Loss
Arizona Republic - Phoenix,AZ - Aug. 29, 2006
The back story: With the seasonal harvest of chile peppers under way, it
seemed appropriate to revisit the pepper's reputation as a weight-loss
aid. Claims of medicinal properties of chile peppers have circulated
for years. The reported benefits have included everything from easing
arthritis pain to lowering cholesterol. In 2002, Heidi Allison promoted
the use of the Southwest staple for the diet conscious in her book The
Chili Pepper Diet.
What advocates claim: The capsaicin found in chile peppers is believed to
be the agent responsible for the peppers' beneficial effects. It's the
same substance that makes chiles spicy, so the hotter the chile, the more
potential benefit. Some maintain that chile peppers aid weight loss by
increasing metabolism. Peppers can support a healthful diet by adding
flavor to otherwise bland foods, and they put the brakes on appetite.
Anyone who has ordered a dish from a Thai menu with a three-pepper rating
can tell you that it's hard to overindulge on a meal with that much heat.
What's more, eating chile peppers releases endorphins that make us feel
good.
What we know: In 1986, researchers at Oxford Polytechnic in England fed
12 volunteers identical 766-calorie meals. On some days, researchers
added three grams each of chile powder and mustard. On alternate days,
they added nothing. Researchers found that on the days they added extra
spices, participants burned 45 extra calories, on average. advertisement
To test her theory about chile peppers, author Allison conducted a small
study with the aid of a registered dietitian and a UCLA internist.
Fourteen subjects ate a low-fat diet with and without chiles. During the
56 days in which volunteers ate chiles, participants lost an average of
9.4 pounds. By comparison, in the phase of the study in which they did
not eat chiles, volunteers lost only nine-tenths of a pound. Allison said
subjects also reported fewer cravings for fat and sweets during the chile
phase.
Both studies were too small to draw firm conclusions, but the idea has
promise. A 1999 review of weight-loss supplements found "some support for
mild effects of capsaicin" in whole foods, but not in supplements.
Still need more HOT Chile Pepper information?
Check out the "Heat Scale and Chile" page.
Who was Wilbur Scoville?
Read the "Chile History" page
The World's "Hottest Chile Pepper
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