Cayenne (La Jiao)

Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum

Besides its use as a culinary spice, cayenne is considered excellent for treating heart and digestive issues. It is loved or hated, depending on individual taste, due to its strong flavor profile and hot spiciness.

Watch a short video, from Ann Christensen, Founder and Creator of White Rabbit Institute of Healing™ – Cayenne Can Surprise You.

Below is an overview of cayenne, combining the best of Western Science, Oriental Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Shamanism, Folklore, and a wide range of healing modalities. Gain a balanced and thorough understanding of the healing properties of cayenne.

Parts Most Frequently Used: Whole pepper​

Flavors/Temps: Hot, Spicy, Pungent

Caution: Considered safe, though too much can upset your stomach. However, some people have been known to take up to three tablespoons a day and be just fine. Not recommended for anyone suffering from Yin Deficient Disharmonies.

Key Constituents: Alkaloids, Capsaicin, Fatty acids, Flavonoids, Sugars, Carotene, Volatile Oil, Vitamins A, B1 B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and Vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese

History/Folklore: The Mayans and Aztecs dedicated much lore to cayenne as a South and Central American healing herb. It is a tonic for the heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, spleen, and stomach, and it is also said to increase fertility and delay senility.

Cayenne is, in particular, considered good at treating the heart and circulatory problems. It is said to be a lifesaver in the event of a heart attack, though this claim remains unproven by clinical study. A cup of cayenne tea (1 teaspoon of cayenne in a cup of hot water) will help calm the heart.

Cayenne stimulates the flow of stomach secretions and saliva. It improves the effectiveness of other herbs, making it an adjunct herb in many formulas.

Some recommend placing cayenne inside the nose to relieve hay fever, migraine headaches, and sinus infections.

Cayenne peppers are high in vitamins A, B’s, C, and E, as well as potassium and magnesium. The 17th-century English herbalist Nichols Culpeper mentions cayenne as a useful supplement for promoting health. In his Complete Herbal of 1653, he named it “guinea pepper” a misnomer for “Guiana pepper.”

Cayenne can be grown in the garden to deter unwanted spirits and scattered around your house it will break bad spells. It is added to love potions to insure passion and make encounters “spicy.”

Cayenne makes a very good eye wash, and although too much can upset the stomach because it is a “hot moving” herb, it is surprisingly an excellent remedy for stomach ulcers.

Cayenne peppers are related to bell peppers and jalapenos. They are slightly hotter than jalapenos. On the Scovill scale, used to rate the heat and spice factor of peppers, cayenne rates 30,000 – 50,000 units – spicy, but not so much as to knock you over!

Research finds that capsaicin, a constituent in cayenne, reduces the amount of substance “P,” which is the chemical that carries pain messages to the brain. When “P” is blocked, a person experiences relief from pain. Using cayenne in ointments and plasters takes advantage of this property for easing the pain of injuries and arthritis.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the hot nature of cayenne suggests that it not be used for Yin Deficient disharmonies. It is especially noted as a Yang supporting or Heating agent in the Body.

Cayenne oil is made using the cold-pressed method or by creating an infusion from the fresh peppers placed in olive oil for culinary dishes, salves, and pastes.