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Cayenne
is truly a gift to humanity as it offers more health benefits than most
other herbs or foods on this planet. Cayenne peppers are berries, and are
the fruit of shrubs in the Capsicum genus. One cayenne pepper contains
beta-carotene and almost twice the recommended dietary allowance of
vitamin C along with iron, phosphorus and calcium. The variety of colors
found in chili peppers contain thousands of bioflavinoids and carotenoids
which may be responsible for the healing properties of cayenne. The
potency of cayenne is determined by the intensity of its heat. This is
determined by the quantity of the chemicals in cayenne and its resins. The
more of these chemicals that are in cayenne and the hotter it is, the
stronger it is, which indicates it is more effective in healing. The heat
is measured in heat units and most cayenne peppers are between 30,000 to
80,000 heat units. Capsaicin blocks pain impulses. Certain types of nerves
in the human body actually appear to have receptor sites for capsaicin. It
actually reduces pain by depleting the nerve endings of Substance P. This
is why ointments containing capsaicin have been clinically proven to help
relieve the pain of arthritis, shingles, and fibromyalgia. Capsaicin
ointment has also become the treatment of choice for peripheral neuropathy
(numbness and tingling sensation in the extremities as seen with diabetes)
and pain from skin cancer. Next time I will discuss further health
benefits of Cayenne and practical applications! .
Roopa Chari, M.D., a Board Certified Physician in Internal Medicine
practices Alternative Medicine at the Shi Ho Center in Del Mar with an
introductory offer 25% off initial consultation. Dr. Chari can be reached
at (619) 275-8073 for appointments or please visit their website at:
http://www.charicenter.com
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