Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 The active ingredient, capsaicin, produces a feeling of warmth when applied to the skin. It depletes substance P, a chemical that transmits pain messages to the brain. Because of that, capsaicin is a frequent ingredient in pain-relieving creams. capsaicin is a vasodilator, which enhances circulation and increases body temperature. Hot peppers (and their powders) may act as a metabolism booster—in one study (on mice), the active ingredient promoted energy metabolism and suppressed body fat accumulation. Makes sense when you think of how eating hot peppers makes you sweat. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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 Birds, on the other hand, don't destroy chili seeds when they eat chili peppers—and they aren't affected by capsaicin. So mammals leave the peppers for the birds, and the birds take the seeds to the air, spreading them along the way.
Capsaicin is a sticky poison—it adheres to mucous membranes, which is why your eyes burned if you ever rubbed them after handling peppers. It's also why the heat from a hot pepper sticks around so long—and why water does nothing to cool the burn. Its stickiness acts to prevent capsaicin from easily dissolving in water. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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 Daily Dosage: Externally: daily dose: 10 g drug; Tincture: (1:10); Semi-solid preparations: maximum 50 mg capsaicin in lOOg neutral base.
Storage: Protected from light and well sealed.
LITERATURE
Anonym. Behandlung chronischer Schmerzen: capsaicin -Lichtblick fur Schmerzpatienten. In: DAZ 137(13):1027-1028. 1997.
Anonym, Phytotherapie:Pflanzliche Antirheumatika - was bringen sie? In: DAZ 136(45):4012-4015. 1996.
Bascom R, Kageysobotka A, Prous D, Effect of intranasal capsaicin on symptoms and mediator release. In: J Pharmacol Exp Ther 259(3): 1323. 1991. |
| Other Names: Capsicum, Grains of Paradise, African Pepper, Bird Pepper, Chilli Pepper, Sweet Pepper, Hungarian Pepper, Red Pepper, Goat's Pod, Zanzibar Pepper, Paprika
ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY
COMPOUNDS
Capsaicinoids (amides of the vanillyl amine with C8 - CIS-fatty acids): chief components capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin
Carotinoids; in particular capsanthin (dark red)
Flavonoids
Steroid saponins (mixture = capsicidin)
EFFECTS
Many documented trials are based on observations of various extracts of the drug. |
Bottom Line Health
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| An extract from cayenne pepper, called capsaicin, can be used in a topical cream to treat the pain from arthritis, shingles, bursitis, low-back ache and neuropathy (nerve pain). capsaicin depletes nerve endings of substance P, a neurotransmitter that facilitates nerve transmission of pain.
Scientific evidence: A four-week study published in The fournal of Rheumatology found that patients who had osteoarthritis of the hands who applied capsaicin cream four times a day experienced reduced pain and tenderness.
Typical dose: Cayenne is available as a supplement in capsules and tincture. |
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
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 Capsaicin
Applying a cream containing capsaicin (an extract of chili pepper) can relieve the pain of postherpetic neuralgia.9 This product is sold over the counter under the name Zostrix. capsaicin cream produces a burning sensation with each application during the first few days, but the pain does subside, and relief is often seen shortly thereaftet. Care should be taken to keep capsaicin away from the eyes.
Summary of Recommendations for Treating Herpes Zoster (Shingles)
• Injections of adenosine monophosphate, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and possibly other antiviral agents, in selected cases. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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| Capsaicin, the hot in hot peppers, stimulates the release of endorphins, which induce feelings of pleasure and reduce feelings of stress. capsaicin also increases your metabolic rate—some think by as much as 25 percent. Even more, there is a growing body of evidence that capsaicin may be helpful in alleviating pain caused by everything from arthritis and shingles to postoperative discomfort.
The list goes on. The psoralen in celery can cause skin damage—but it also is a real help for people with psoriasis. |
Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| An extract from cayenne pepper, called capsaicin, can be used in a topical cream to treat the pain from arthritis, shingles, bursitis, low-back ache and neuropathy (nerve pain). capsaicin depletes nerve endings of substance P, a neurotransmitter that facilitates nerve transmission of pain.
Scientific evidence: A four-week study published in The fournal of Rheumatology found that patients who had osteoarthritis of the hands who applied capsaicin cream four times a day experienced reduced pain and tenderness.
Typical dose: Cayenne is available as a supplement in capsules and tincture. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 Wiley, 2002). capsaicin cream onto painful joints creates heat, which can help soothe pain and muscle tension. Brand names include Capsin, Capzasin-HP Arthritis Formula, Capzasin-P, Dolorac, Menthac Arthritis Cream with capsaicin, RT Capsin, Salonpas Pain Patch with capsaicin, Trix-aicin, and Zostrix. Be careful not to get these creams in or near your eyes—they'll sting!
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol). This drug reduces pain without affecting inflammation. |
Andrew Pengelly
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 Total capsaicinoid content is around 1 % of the dried fruit, the majority of which is usually capsaicin. Structurally, capsaicinoids are vanillyl-acyl amide analogues (Tucker and Debaggio 2000).
Capsaicinoids stimulate receptors (known as vanillinoid receptors) ho' capsaicin—an aromatic amide on cutaneous sensory neurons, resulting in a massive release of neuropeptides including so-called 'substance P' molecules responsible for pain transmission to the brain and modulation of local inflammatory responses. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 Mori A et al. capsaicin, a component of red peppers, inhibits the growth of androgen-independent, p53 mutant prostate cancer cells. Cancer Res. 2006 Mar 15; 66(6):3222-3229.
Sancho R et al. Immunosuppressive activity of capsaicinoids: capsiate derived from sweet peppers inhibits NF-kappaB activation and is a potent antiinflammatory compound in vivo. Eur J Immunol. 2002 Jun;32(6):1753-1763.
Tandan R et al. Topical capsaicin in painful diabetic neuropathy. Controlled study with long-term follow-up. Diabetes Care. 1992 Jan;15(l):8-14.
Zhang W et al. |
Hyla Cass
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| Wiley, 2002). capsaicin cream onto painful joints creates heat, which can help soothe pain and muscle tension. Brand names include Capsin, Capzasin-HP Arthritis Formula, Capzasin-P, Dolorac, Menthac Arthritis Cream with capsaicin, RT Capsin, Salonpas Pain Patch with capsaicin, Trix-aicin, and Zostrix. Be careful not to get these creams in or near your eyes—they'll sting!
?Acetaminophen (Tylenol). This drug reduces pain without affecting inflammation. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Apply topical cream containing capsaicin to painful areas as directed on the label. You can also season your food with powdered cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
Possible side effects: Cayenne pepper can cause gastric upset. If you take warfarin (Coumadin), do not use cayenne pepper supplements.
'Check with your doctor before using spices for medicinal purposes. They can interact with prescription medication.
Do not let topical capsaicin come in contact with your eyes or other mucus membranes—it can cause pain and burning.
CINNAMON
What it does: Helps prevent heart disease and type 2 diabetes. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| The major difference between the two is that chiles contain fiery capsaicin and are used mainly as a spice. The sweet ones lack capsaicin and are mainly used as vegetables. The riper the pepper, the greater its nutrition and the better its flavor. In general, the thinner the skin the more "peppery" the taste; the thick-skinned ones are sweeter. Many peppers start life as a green vegetable and when they fully mature, change colors. Red is the sweetest of the bells and is actually a fully ripened green pepper with a milder flavor. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Scientific evidence: A four-week study published in The fournal of Rheumatology found that patients who had osteoarthritis of the hands who applied capsaicin cream four times a day experienced reduced pain and tenderness.
Typical dose: Cayenne is available as a supplement in capsules and tincture. Take one capsule of cayenne pepper up to three times a day.. .or add three to eight drops of cayenne tincture to 4 ounces of water and drink two to four times a day. Apply topical cream containing capsaicin to painful areas as directed on the label. |
Dan Buettner
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 Similarly, I don't think the first person who ever chewed a hot pepper thought, "Mmra, good." capsaicin, pepper's active ingredient, is literally caustic to the flesh. But somehow, human taste has evolved to enjoy the taste of pepper. Why? Because capsaicin is a natural disinfectant, and it kills many types of food-borne bacteria. Put hot pepper in slightly rancid meat, and it inhibits bacteria. The person who eats the meal with the pepper lives. The person who eats the meal without the pepper gets sick and could die. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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| DRUGS FOR ARTHRITIC PAIN:
MANY SIDE EFFECTS, DIFFICULT CHOICES
When you are in pain and looking for a way out, you're faced with many choices:
• Topical creams containing capsaicin. capsaicin, also known as substance P, is a compound derived from hot peppers. Creams containing it aren't really drugs, but natural medicines that happen to be available on most drugstore shelves among the OTC meds. Smoothing a
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Food Allergy/Sensitivity
Up to twenty percent of RA sufferers get better, while the rest have recurrent problems for the rest of their lives. |
| Brand names include Capsin, Capzasin-HP Arthritis Formula, Capzasin-P, Dolorac, Menthac Arthritis Cream with capsaicin, RT Capsin, Salonpas Pain Patch with capsaicin, Trix-aicin, and Zostrix. Be careful not to get these creams in or near your eyes—they'll sting!
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol). This drug reduces pain without affecting inflammation. It is implicated in tens of thousands of cases of liver damage, including around 450 deaths, every year, and is the single largest contributing factor to liver failure that requires liver transplants. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Because of that, capsaicin is a frequent ingredient in pain-relieving creams. capsaicin is a vasodilator, which enhances circulation and increases body temperature. Hot peppers (and their powders) may act as a metabolism booster—in one study (on mice), the active ingredient promoted energy metabolism and suppressed body fat accumulation. Makes sense when you think of how eating hot peppers makes you sweat.
Traditionally, some hot peppers like cayenne were used to aid digestion and stimulate the appetite. Counterintuitive though it seems, they probably do not irritate the stomach. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 At least a few of them have found capsaicin consumption helpful. (Capsaicin is the compound in chili peppers that makes them hot. We have no idea if eating it has any role in making eczema better.)
/ read your column about eating salsa for a skin condition. I tried it and it worked for me. For over a year I've been free of the eczema I had for 8 years before that. I ate salsa daily for about a month.
Capsaicin is an ingredient in some topical liniments or rubs designed to alleviate arthritis pain. Usually, there is a warning for such products not to apply them to broken skin. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 Cayenne is a superstar because it contains the active ingredient capsaicin. capsaicin lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and prevents heart attacks and strokes. It is a natural blood thinner. However, it is not safe for everyone to take this herb, because for those taking certain medications, such as Coumadin (warfarin), there could be contraindications. So you have to ask your physician if any prescription drug you are taking may prohibit the use of cayenne. This is very important. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Behandlung chronischer Schmerzen: capsaicin -Lichtblick fur Schmerzpatienten. In: DAZ 137(13):1027-1028. 1997.
Anonym, Phytotherapie:Pflanzliche Antirheumatika - was bringen sie? In: DAZ 136(45):4012-4015. 1996.
Bascom R, Kageysobotka A, Prous D, Effect of intranasal capsaicin on symptoms and mediator release. In: J Pharmacol Exp Ther 259(3): 1323. 1991.
Camara B, Moneger R, (1978) Phytochemistry 17:91. Gal IE, (1967) Pharmazie 22:120.
Kreymeier J, Rheumatherapie mit Phytopharmaka. In: DAZ 137(8):611-613. 1997.
Masada Y et al., (1971) J Food Sci 36:858. Monsereenusorn Y et al. |
Bryan Hanson, PhD
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 Capsaicin is a nonpolar molecule, and ointments, creams, and oils are composed of nonpolar (oily) molecules which will dissolve the capsaicin. If you enjoy chile peppers for their culinary qualities, you might have heard that drinking milk can help quench the pain of a too-hot chile. If you try this, be sure to use whole milk, because it is the nonpolar fat in milk that can dissolve the capsaicin and carry it away from your burning mouth. Nonfat milk will be much less effective. |
| At the other extreme of solubility, consider capsaicin (Figure 5.1, part b), the component of chile peppers (Capsicum species) that is responsible for the burning sensation you feel when eating them. capsaicin also has medicinal properties: it interferes with the pain sensation process (by several means). Ointments containing capsaicin have proven useful for the treatment of painful arthritic joints. Why is this administered as an ointment? In part, it is because the application is local in that the cream is rubbed into the skin of the joint, such as a knee. |
| Capsaicin is a nonpolar molecule, and ointments, creams, and oils are composed of nonpolar (oily) molecules which will dissolve the capsaicin. If you enjoy chile peppers for their culinary qualities, you might have heard that drinking milk can help quench the pain of a too-hot chile. If you try this, be sure to use whole milk, because it is the nonpolar fat in milk that can dissolve the capsaicin and carry it away from your burning mouth. Nonfat milk will be much less effective. |
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