This is one herb that I’ve keep in my kitchen for many years. When cooking, I use it in place of black pepper. It has also been handy on several occasions when workmen were injured while doing a job at my house. They were skeptical when I came out with my bandages and cayenne pepper, but they were quickly won over to its benefits when they realized that they cayenne didn’t sting and the wound quickly stopped bleeding.

So what is cayenne pepper? Well it is considered a fruit and its botanical name is capsicum annuum. It has been used both as a seasoning and medicinal plant for thousands of years. One of my favorite herbal guide books, “Back to Eden” by Jethro Kloss, says that this is one of the most stimulating herbs known to man with no harm or reaction. The book also goes on to say that it will not irritate the stomach, that it is very good on wounds and will cause the blood to coagulate, help with healing, and not cause irritation.

Other references:

  • Wikipedia has a nice picture of a cayenne pepper and some information about the herb.
  • This article talks about some of the plants health benefits, including improving blood flow to the liver.
  • The University of Maryland Medical Center has some excellent information on cayenne including an important warning for those who may have an allergic reaction to the herb (anyone allergic to latex, bananas, kiwi, chestnuts, and avocado should be careful).
  • And one last article for you to look at is here where they have a nice illustration of a cayenne plant and even more health advice. I had no idea that the plant was so beneficial!