A lot of us enjoy the taste of hot peppers but keeping cayenne pepper in your home could do more than just flavor your next meal.
It turns out it could potentially save your life in an emergency. That’s because of the role it plays in stimulating circulation. It’s no secret that capsaicin found in cayenne peppers can help with things like improved blood flow, lower cholesterol, reducing blood glucose, and regulating blood pressure. We also know capsaicin can help heal wounds, and relieve pain from health problems such as rheumatism, arthritis, and fibromyalgia.
But what if it could do even more? It turns out, it might.
Some experts say drinking water with drops of cayenne tincture daily could help unclog your heart’s arteries. You may also be able to use a cayenne tea, which is just a cup of hot water and a teaspoon of cayenne, to stop a heart attack. The cayenne would need to be at least 90,000 heat units. If the person was unconscious and unable to drink the cayenne tea themselves, some experts suggest using a couple of full droppers of full-strength cayenne extract or tincture underneath their tongue. For daily prevention, you’ll want to build up your tolerance. Start with a small amount of cayenne, possibly in a tea, or mixed into food. If the burn is too much, or it’s causing some indigestion, food can help.
Keep in mind, most cayenne you buy in your local grocery stores is only around 35,000 SHU.
That’s not enough to get much benefit in case of a heart attack or pain relief, but it can be used daily to possibly help prevent future health issues. Of course, you’ll want to talk to your doctor, because cayenne can thin the blood, so it’s not good before surgery, or if you’re on a blood thinner medication already. You also wouldn’t want to consume too much cayenne after a heart attack or stroke. Still, there are some benefits to having a product readily available that’s high on the hot pepper scale, whether it’s for extra flavor, or for use in an emergency.