[CH] FQ Cayennes
Rosemary Basil (rosemarybasil@yahoo.com)
Fri, 5 Mar 1999 18:28:20 -0800 (PST)
Hi Gang, I just found this over at my Yahoo clubs and thought those of
you with health concerns may want to read it especially of interest to
me as I
grow cayennes.
If anyone wants to trade seeds for some FQ Cayennes I've got plenty.
They make great ristras too! I'm looking particularly for mulato,
pisilla, mirasol, de arbol, and believe it or not, I don't have
tabasco peppers!
Rosemary Basil
Nawlins, Zone 9
ps. Risa, I mailed your seeds today, darlin!
Cayenne (Red Pepper): The Hottest Healer
Provided by Prevention's Healthy Ideas
Fast facts: aids digestion, eases muscle pain, relieves cluster
headaches,
reduces arthritis pain, lowers cholesterol, fights shingles pain,
prevents
heart disease, treats diabetic foot pain
A fiery taste and bright red appearance make cayenne pepper one of the
world's most conspicuous spices. Recently, this herb has become as hot
in healing as
it is on the tongue. Cayenne has proved remarkably effective at
relieving certain types of severe, chronic pain. It also aids
digestion and may help
prevent heart disease.
Cayenne comes from the Caribbean Indian word kian. Today Cayenne is
the capital of French Guiana. But ironically, only a tiny fraction of
the U.S. red
pepper supply comes from South America or the Caribbean; most comes
from India and Africa. Tabasco (Louisiana pepper), a close cousin of
cayenne with all the same health benefits, grows along the Gulf Coast
of the United States.
In India, the East Indies, Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean, red
pepper enjoys a long history as a stomach-settling digestive aid. "I
believe it works," says Varro E. Tyler, PhD, professor of
pharmacognosy at Purdue University School of Pharmacy in West
Lafayette, Ind., and author of The Honest Herbal. Cayenne assists
digestion by stimulating the flow of saliva and stomach secretions.
Saliva contains enzymes that begin the breakdown of carbohydrates, and
stomach secretions contain acids and other digestive substances.
But most Americans doubt the digestive benefits of cayenne, believing
instead that the fiery spice causes ulcers. It doesn't. In one study,
researchers used
a tiny video camera to examine subjects' stomach linings after both
bland meals and meals liberally spiced with jalapeno peppers, another
close cousin
of cayenne. Their conclusion: Eating highly spiced meals causes no
damage whatsoever to the stomach. However, the finding relates only to
people with
normal gastrointestinal tracts. "I wouldn't recommend red pepper to
anyone with an ulcer," Tyler says.
But what about the first-degree burns red pepper sometimes leaves in
your mouth? The best treatment is a glass of milk. Milk protein washes
away
capsaicin, the chemical in red pepper responsible for its heat.
No pain, no gain For centuries, herbalists have recommended rubbing
red pepper onto sore
muscles and joints. Medically known as a counterirritant, this
treatment causes minor superficial discomfort but distracts the person
from the more severe, deeper pain. Heet, a capsaicin-based
counter-irritant cream, is available over the counter.
Recently, however, red pepper has been shown to provide more
compelling relief for certain kinds of chronic pain. For reasons still
not completely
understood, capsaicin interferes with the action of substance P -- a
nerve chemical that sends pain messages to the brain.
"Capsaicin has proved so effective at relieving pain that it's the
active ingredient in the over-the-counter cream Zostrix," says James
A. Duke, PhD, a
retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture botanist and author of
The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.
Doctors now recommend Zostrix for arthritis, diabetic foot pain and
the pain of shingles, an adult disease caused by the same virus that
causes chicken pox
in children. The virus remains dormant in the body until later in life
when, for unknown reasons, it can reappear as shingles, causing a rash
on one side
of the body that progresses from red bumps to blisters to crusty pox
resembling chicken pox. In most adults, shingles clears up by itself
within a few weeks. But many experience lingering, sometimes severe,
pain.
Research suggests that capsaicin can also help relieve cluster
headaches. In one study, people with cluster headaches rubbed a
capsaicin preparation inside
and outside their noses on the same side of the head as the headache
pain.
Within five days, 75 percent reported less pain and fewer headaches.
They also reported burning nostrils and runny noses, but these side
effects subsided
within a week.
Finally, red pepper may help the heart. "It cuts cholesterol levels
and reduces the risk of the internal blood clots that trigger heart
attacks," says
Daniel B. Mowrey, PhD, director of the American Phytotherapy Research
Laboratory in Salt Lake City, and author of "The Scientific Validation
of
Herbal Medicine."
Harnessing cayenne's healing power
Perhaps the best way to enjoy cayenne's medicinal benefits is simply
to season your food to taste. Even small amounts of red pepper can be
therapeutic.
Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after using either cayenne or
Zostrix. Cayenne may be kind to your stomach lining, but you
definitely don't want to
get any in your eyes.
To aid digestion and possibly reduce the risk of heart disease,
experts recommend cayenne in capsules, available from most herbal
stores. Follow the
directions on the package.
==
City Jungles...Gardens of Passion!
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/7686/sitemap.html
Send Free New Orleans Garden E-cards!
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/7686/postcards.html
PEPPERS!
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/PEPPERS
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com