Some Like It Hot: 13 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Can you handle the spice? Nothing spicy packs the same wellness punch as cayenne pepper does.

Here are 13 reasons to increase the temperature:

1. It's an anti-irritant. This may be the complete opposite of what you think but cayenne pepper can actually ease stomach ulcers, nagging coughs, diarrhea and other internal irritations.
2. Feeling sniffly? Cayenne pepper is a great cold and flu relief as it helps to break up and move congested mucus and also gives your immune system a boost.
3. It's a headache cure that even works for migraines. This may be related to the pepper’s ability to stimulate a pain response in a different area of the body thus reverting the brain’s attention to the new site! Pretty clever right?
4. Cayenne pepper helps produce more saliva which in turn helps in digestion - salivia contains an enzyme that triggers the chemical digestion of certain carbohydrates.
5. It helps to reduce blood clots and increase blood flow.
6. When applied topically, cayenne pepper helps to relieve joint pain and the pain of arthritis. How? It lessens the neurotransmitter called substance P which is responsible for sending pain signals to our brain.
7. It's anti-bacterial, making it a good anti-virus and infection fighter!
8. It's anti-fungal.
9. It helps with weight loss. Yes, that's right! Adding a dash of cayenne pepper to your food could speed up your metabolism and aid you in your bid to shed some kilos.
10. It quite possibly has anti-cancerous properties.
11. It's a cure for a broken heart - cayenne pepper's effects on the cell structure of capillaries, veins and arteries is nothing short of amazing. Plus it can adjust blood pressure to normal levels.
12. It's anti-spasmodic.The active ingredient in cayenne, capsaicin, is naturally soothing and stops muscles from spasming.
13. Cayenne pepper can relieve you from tooth aches as well as assisting with tooth and gum diseases.