"If you master only one herb in your life, master cayenne pepper. It is more powerful than anything else." Dr. Richard Shulze.

Cayenne is a medicinal and nutritional herb. Many herbalists believe Cayenne is the most useful and valuable herb in the herb kingdom. Cayenne has been used for centuries as a medicine.

1. Cayenne supplies nutrients and is considered a Superfood. It is a very high source of vitamin A, C and B-Complexes.It is also rich in calcium and potassium.

2. Cayenne helps the entire digestive system. It has been used for cramping pains and gas. It is great for constipation and helps with elimination. Cayenne can help rebuild the tissue in the stomach and the peristaltic action in the intestines. It aids assimilation, and helps the body to create hydrochloric acid, which is so necessary for good digestion and assimilation, especially of proteins. All this becomes very significant when we realize that the digestive system plays the most important role in mental, emotional and physical health, as it is through the digestive system that the brain, glands, muscles and every other part of the body are fed and cleansed. Chili peppers like cayenne have a bad--and undeserved--reputation for contributing to stomach ulcers. Not only do they not cause ulcers, these hot peppers may help prevent them by killing bacteria you may have ingested, while powerfully stimulating the cells lining the stomach to secrete protective buffering juices that prevent ulcer formation. The use of cayenne pepper is actually associated with a reduced risk of stomach ulcers.

3. Pain. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in Cayenne. Capsaicin dulls pain sensations by interrupting the chemical messages sent to pain-sensing nerves. Over-the-counter topical creams, such as Zostrix and Dolorac, contain capsaicin as an active ingredient. These applications are used to relieve pain caused by muscle spasms, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, shingles, diabetic neuropathy, and even phantom pain caused by amputation. Capsaicin cream is well established as a modestly helpful pain-relieving treatment for post-herpetic neuropathy (the pain that lingers after an attack of shingles) peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain that occurs most commonly as a side effect of diabetes, but may occur with HIV as well as other conditions), nerve pain after cancer surgery and arthritis pain.

4. Improved circulation. There is no other herb which increases your blood flow faster than cayenne. Cayenne moves blood. It is a circulatory tonic and helps improve circulation. It is thought that cayenne helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, thus promoting a healthy vascular system. Cayenne and other red chili peppers have been shown to reduce blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and platelet aggregation, while increasing the body's ability to dissolve fibrin, a substance integral to the formation of blood clots. Cultures where hot peppers like cayenne are used liberally have a much lower rate of heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism. Capsaicin is also a natural expectorant, and helps thin mucus, allowing you to expel it more easily. For this reason capsaicin is often included in home remedies for cough, and can be helpful when combined with other medicines as a treatment for pneumonia. If you suffer from cold feet, try cayenne.

5. Metabolism booster. More blood means more oxygen racing through your body. This means more energy! Lose Weight!

All that heat you feel after eating hot chili peppers takes energy--and calories to produce. Even sweet red peppers have been found to contain substances that significantly increase thermogenesis (heat production) and oxygen consumption for more than 20 minutes after they are eaten. It is no wonder cayenne is included in many diet and weight loss products!

6. It makes other herbs work better! When people ask Dr. Schulze, "What are the 10 most important herbs to have in the home?" He tells them, "At the top of the list is cayenne pepper, because it will make the other 9 work better." Cayenne works to improve all the other herbs and nutrients you are taking in.

It is recommended that the cayenne powder be used, as opposed to capsules. It is believed that you are only getting a small part of the potential effect of cayenne pepper by taking it in capsules. When you put cayenne in your mouth, your stomach secretes digestive juices before the cayenne ever gets there. So when the cayenne gets down there, your stomach is ready for it.

But if you swallow a capsule, your tongue tastes nothing. A capsule goes down in your stomach, and your stomach notices nothing, at first. Then, 5 minutes later the gelatin bursts, and you have a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in your stomach and your body is shocked. You surprised it.

What is going on is that some of cayenne's healing action occurs right in your mouth. As cayenne touches your tongue, the cayenne absorbs in seconds and nerve endings send signals throughout the body - sending waves of fresh blood throughout your body.

I advise clients to start their day with a half teaspoon of cayenne in 8-10 ounces of luke warm water. (Not water from the hot faucet because that contains sediment from the bottom of your hot water heater. Heat water on the stove in a pan or tea pot.) Drink 10-20 ounces of water the first twenty minutes you are awake. This will do more for your body than that cup of coffee!