For those who love a bit of heat in their food, cayenne pepper often stands out as a favourite spice. Beyond the commonly known use of adding a kick to our meals, cayenne pepper also has an impressive list of health benefits, which range from speeding up metabolism and easing digestion to soothing pain and inflammation.
Lulutho Qina from East London believes drinking a cup of cayenne pepper in the morning can improve health, especially for those with severe sinuses.
“As someone who suffers from asthma and sinusitis, my mom used to make me hot water with half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and ginger to reduce nasal congestion and clear my airways, and I’ve never looked back,” she says.
Qina shares that her love for cayenne pepper runs deep, as she doesn’t shy away from adding it to nearly every meal.
“I add cayenne pepper to every meal I cook – chicken, beef, mutton, chicken livers, mince, you name it.”
Lulutho Qina
Makho Marekwa, from Rustenburg in North West, swears by cayenne pepper for its taste and potential wellness benefits.
“I love spicy food, and I’ve heard that cayenne is one of the healthiest peppers. I use it in my chakalaka, in sauces, and in gravy, too. Sometimes, I’ll add it to my chicken or pork seasoning,” he says.
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Special place in kitchen and medicine cabinet
“Cayenne pepper is said to be good for the heart, and I also use it to remedy a cold. I’ve learned that it also helps relieve headaches,” Marekwa says.
For Yakhani Xongwana from the Eastern Cape, cayenne pepper also holds a special place in his kitchen and health routine.
“As often as possible, I use cayenne pepper in cooking and concoctions for flu and immune-boosting. Any chance I get, I’ll have it in food or tea with some honey on a cold day, and generally, I wake up feeling a bit better.”
Yakhani Xongwana
“I also generally like hot and spicy foods and cayenne pepper is the strongest one I’ve encountered,” he says.
Pretoria dietitian Boitumelo Kekana explains that cayenne pepper, scientifically known as Capsicum annuum, contains capsaicin, a chemical irritant that triggers a heat sensation and signals pain to the nerves.
Interestingly, she shares that capsaicin is also used in topical creams, like deep heat, to reduce pain and inflammation.
Kekana further offers some of the key health benefits associated with cayenne pepper.
“Cayenne pepper can act as an anti-irritant to your stomach, treat ulcers (this is controversial), and speed up your metabolism,” says Kekana.
Use cayenne pepper with caution
“Chilli peppers also include capsaicin and antioxidants, which help to kill cancer cells in leukaemia and prostate cancer. It also promotes cardiovascular health due to its potassium content, so in combination with folate, it can decrease the chances of developing heart disease.”
However, she notes that it’s better to consume raw, fresh chillies for maximum benefits and cautions that cayenne pepper can harm certain individuals.
“Cayenne pepper will be harmful to people with heartburn because it worsens it. People with digestion issues such as inflammation of the colon (irritable bowel diseases, microscopic colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome), especially with diarrhoea, will likely further aggravate that.”
“People with upcoming surgery or medical tests should also avoid cayenne pepper, as it contains salicylates, which thin the blood. There are other foods with similar properties that need to be avoided 10–14 days before surgery.”
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