Cayenne Pepper
Why cayenne pepper is anti-inflammatory
Cayenne pepper is anti-inflammatory, and the heat and the effect come from the same compound, capsaicin. Cayenne is a thin red chilli, dried and ground to a powder. Capsaicin damages nothing in your mouth. It attaches to the nerve endings that report real heat, so they fire as though the food were burning.
What capsaicin does inside the body has mostly been tested as a capsule. Adults who took capsaicin capsules every day for three months ended with a slightly lower inflammation marker in a blood test. That is the compound at a steady dose, not the pinch you shake over a pan.
Cayenne is also sold as a cream for aching joints, and that is the use with the clearest evidence. Rubbed on the skin, capsaicin prods the pain nerves underneath until they run low on the chemical they use to send that signal, and the spot then hurts less for weeks. In pooled trials, people with worn joints reported less pain, though many got burning skin where they applied it. Eating the spice does not do the same.
Read the ingredients before you buy. Jars sold as chilli powder are often mostly paprika and cumin with a little cayenne for heat, while a jar of pure cayenne lists a single ingredient.
Start with a pinch, since the heat keeps building as a dish sits. Capsaicin dissolves in fat rather than water, so stirring cayenne into oil spreads it evenly. If you have reflux, an ulcer or irritable bowel, chilli can bring the symptoms on.
Cayenne Pepper on the AIP diet
Cayenne pepper is out during the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol. It is ground chilli, and chillies are nightshades, the family AIP removes whole: peppers, tomatoes, aubergine, white potatoes and every spice made from them, paprika included. Nightshade spices tend to be among the last foods reintroduced, so expect months without it. Ginger, garlic and horseradish cover the heat in the meantime.
Benefits
- Capsaicin, the compound behind the heat, is the most studied thing in any chilli
- Capsules of it lowered the inflammation marker that shows up in a blood test
- Rubbed on the skin as a cream, it eases the pain of worn joints
- Adds strong flavour with no salt, sugar or fat
Watch out for
- Human evidence uses capsaicin capsules and creams, not the spice you cook with
- It is a nightshade, so it is out during the AIP elimination phase
- Chilli can bring on reflux, ulcer and irritable bowel symptoms
- Jars sold as chilli powder are often mostly paprika and cumin
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Frequently asked
Is cayenne pepper inflammatory?
No, cayenne pepper is anti-inflammatory. Its heat comes from capsaicin, and adults who took capsaicin capsules every day for three months ended with a slightly lower inflammation marker in a blood test. Most of the research uses capsules or skin creams rather than the spice in your rack.
Does cayenne pepper help with joint pain?
On the skin it does. In pooled trials, capsaicin creams eased the pain of worn joints for up to three months, though many people got burning skin where they applied it. Eating cayenne has not been shown to do the same.
Is cayenne pepper allowed on the AIP diet?
Not during the elimination phase. Cayenne is ground chilli, and chillies are nightshades, the family AIP cuts along with tomatoes, aubergine and white potatoes. Nightshade spices are usually among the last foods brought back.
Does cayenne pepper burn your stomach?
The burning feeling comes from capsaicin switching on the receptors that report heat, not from any injury. Even so, if you have reflux, an ulcer or irritable bowel, chilli often brings the symptoms on, and how much it takes varies from person to person.
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