Everyone has been doing something with cayenne pepper during the coronavirus pandemic.
It seems to be one of the main ingredients in any immune booster shared by experts and people on social media.
But why is it the king of medicinal herbs?
According to Healthline, cayenne peppers are a type of chili pepper. They belong to the nightshade family of flowering plants and are closely related to bell peppers and jalapeños.
They were originally grown in Central and South America, but brought to Europe in the 15th century by Christopher Columbus.
Cayenne peppers are a popular spice used in many different regional styles of cooking, and they have been used medicinally for thousands of years.
These peppers boast an impressive nutrition profile, which includes a variety of antioxidants that are beneficial for your health.
Here are some benefits cayenne peppers:
Ease cough:
Inhaled capsaicin, the hot stuff in cayenne and other hot peppers, triggers the cough reflex.
Scientists found that people who took capsaicin powder orally had reduced cough symptoms
Detox:
The cayenne pepper, lemon, honey diet is a detox or cleanse based on the Master Cleanse detox.
According to the "Master Cleanser," an updated version of the Master Cleanse detox by Stanley Burroughs, you're supposed to make a single serving of the drink with:
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more, to taste, if desired)
8 to 12 ounces of purified water
Digestive health
Dietary spices and their active components may provide many benefits for your stomach.
For example, cayenne pepper may help boost the stomach's defense against infections, increase digestive fluid production and help deliver enzymes to the stomach, aiding digestion.