Cayenne Pepper: Benefits for Your Heart, Gut & How to Take It

Dr. Josh Axe · Free quiz

Gut Health Quiz

Loading question one…

Cayenne pepper is a hot red chili pepper, dried and ground into the bright red spice you probably already keep in your kitchen, and its heat comes from capsaicin, the compound behind its benefits for your circulation, digestion, metabolism and pain.12 It's one of my top six warming herbs for a cold, the flu or a body that runs cold, and I recommend a pinch to a quarter teaspoon a day in your meals, or a pinch stirred into a glass of lemon water.72

If your hands and feet are always cold, your appetite is sluggish and your circulation feels slow, Chinese medicine sees a body that's running cold, and it treats that chill as the root cause rather than chasing each symptom on its own.82 Cayenne is a hot, pungent herb that warms you from the inside and gets your blood and digestion moving, so it works right on that underlying chill.2 Researchers have since tested it for many of the same uses: capsaicin creams and plasters eased arthritis and back pain in placebo-controlled trials, red pepper taken before meals calmed indigestion, and in large population studies, people who ate chili peppers regularly had a lower risk of dying during follow-up.69410 In one of my videos, I put it this way:

As the weather turns cold and the season for colds and flu begins, cayenne earns a front-row place in your spice cupboard, whether you cook with it, stir it into warm water or take it in capsules.

Did you know?

• Chili peppers and corn go back a long way together. At ancient sites from the Bahamas to southern Peru, chili starch grains turned up alongside maize, part of a food pairing that is older than pottery in some regions.11

• Mayan healers used chili peppers in remedies for ailments that were probably caused by microbes, and in lab tests, pepper extracts stopped several kinds of bacteria.12

• Spicy food can make salt taste saltier. In brain-imaging work, capsaicin strengthened the brain's response to salt, so less of it tasted salty enough.13

Advertisement

What is cayenne pepper?

The plant is a small, shrubby pepper whose long, thin pods ripen to a bright red, and those pods are dried and ground to make the spice. Chili peppers have been seasoning food for a very long time: tiny chili starch grains recovered at seven archaeological sites show that people in the Americas were eating them at least 6,000 years ago.11 Mayan healers made chili part of their medicine too,12 and once chilies spread around the world, Chinese medicine came to describe cayenne as a hot, pungent herb that enters the heart and digestion.2

The heat is capsaicin, with a few close cousins, and cayenne carries plenty of it. In one lab-tested cayenne, each gram held about 2 mg of capsaicin and about 3.6 mg of these heat compounds in all, which works out to 53,800 Scoville heat units, the scale that rates a pepper's heat.14 That's far hotter than paprika, which is made from milder red peppers, and it's why a pinch of cayenne brings real warmth to a whole pot of soup.

Is cayenne pepper good for you?

Eating chili peppers regularly goes along with a lower risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and any cause, and the widest view of that comes from large population studies. When researchers pooled four studies comparing people who ate chili peppers regularly with people who rarely or never did, the regular chili eaters had a 13% lower risk of dying from any cause during follow-up, a 17% lower risk of dying from heart and blood vessel disease and an 8% lower risk of dying from cancer.10 In the U.S., among 16,179 adults followed for a median of 18.9 years, those who ate hot red chili peppers had a 13% lower risk of death,15 and in China, among 487,375 adults, people who ate spicy food six or seven days a week had a 14% lower risk than people who ate it less than once a week.16 Studies like these show an association rather than proof that the peppers did it, but they fit what the trials below show for heart markers.

In my view, gram for gram, dried herbs and spices are the most antioxidant-dense foods on earth, and I encourage you to cook with them every day, cayenne included.17 That's food as medicine in its simplest form, a small amount, often, in meals you already eat.

How cayenne pepper works in your body

The burn you feel when you bite into cayenne is your body's heat sensor at work. Capsaicin switches on TRPV1, the same receptor that tells you a cup of coffee is too hot to sip, and you carry it on nerves in your mouth, your gut and your skin and in the lining of your blood vessels.218 Your body responds to that alarm in three ways: it makes a little more heat, it moves more blood, and with repeated contact, it quiets the nerve endings that carry pain. Those responses explain most of what cayenne does for you. Here's how I describe it in my Top 50 Healing Herbs & Essential Oils guide:

Follow those steps from top to bottom and you can see why Chinese medicine calls cayenne a warming herb that moves things: it turns up your body's heat and gets your blood and digestion going, which is what a body that runs cold needs most.

Cayenne pepper benefits

Because cayenne sits with the heart and circulation herbs in my guide,2 those benefits come first here, though its best-studied work is easing pain, with digestion and metabolism close behind.

Ginger and black pepper open up circulation this way, and so does cayenne, which is why a warming spice helps carry the compounds in turmeric out to the rest of your body.17

Cayenne in Chinese medicine: a warming, moving herb

Traditional Chinese medicine describes every food and herb by its nature, from hot to cold, and by its flavor, and cayenne sits at the hot end, with a pungent flavor that spreads warmth through the body.2 When I explain what spiciness does in the body, cayenne is my example: it increases circulation and increases movement.21 That's why I recommend it for cold, sluggish people, the ones with cold hands and feet, a poor appetite and slow circulation.2

The type of cold you catch matters too, something ancient practitioners understood: sometimes a cold comes with a heat pattern and sometimes with a cold pattern.7 If you're getting chills and your tongue looks pale or white, that's a cold pattern, and it's when warming herbs like cayenne help most.7 If your body is running hot instead, with redness, a fever and a very sore throat, taking a lot of cayenne or garlic can make that kind of cold worse, and cooling herbs such as honeysuckle, chrysanthemum and peppermint fit better.7 My teaching on excess heat goes the same way: when heat builds up in the body, showing up as fever, rashes, insomnia or high blood pressure, spicy foods and warming herbs are on my list of foods to avoid.8

So if you tend to run hot, keep cayenne to a light pinch in place of salt and let the cooling herbs above do more of the work, and if you run cold, a warm bowl of soup or stew with a generous pinch is a good place to begin.

Cayenne pepper nutrition facts

Ground cayenne per 1 teaspoon (1.8 g) and per 100 g. Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy FDC ID 170932; % Daily Value is figured from FDA's reference amounts.140

At a pinch to a teaspoon, cayenne is a seasoning, so its vitamins add up slowly. What it brings instead is capsaicin and the red-orange carotenoids that color it, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, the same family of pigments you get from carrots and leafy greens.

How to take cayenne pepper: food, water and capsules

Food comes first with any healing spice, and cayenne slips easily into meals you already make. Here's how much to use and four ways to take it, along with the ways I suggest using it for your heart and your circulation.

How much cayenne pepper per day?

I recommend a pinch to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne a day in your meals, or a pinch in lemon water.2 Start at the pinch end and build up as your taste allows. In one study, people who rarely ate spicy food chose about 0.3 grams of cayenne for a meal, roughly a pinch, while regular spicy-food eaters chose about 1.8 grams, a full teaspoon.14 For comparison, a level teaspoon (1.8 grams) of the cayenne tested in that study carried about 3.6 mg of capsaicin, close to the 4 mg a day used in the heart trial above.1413

In food

Cayenne's heat blends into almost anything savory. Try a pinch in scrambled eggs or an omelet, soups and stews, chili, roasted vegetables and sweet potatoes, guacamole and hummus, or a dry rub for chicken and fish, and a dash wakes up popcorn and hot cocoa too. Cook it alongside ginger, black pepper and turmeric, the warming spices that keep it good company.

In water: lemon-cayenne water and shots

A pinch of cayenne in lemon water is the drink I suggest.2 Squeeze half a lemon into a mug of warm water, add a pinch of cayenne and sweeten it with a teaspoon of raw honey if you like, and you have a warming way to start a cold morning. No trial has tested cayenne water itself, so its benefits are cayenne's benefits in a glass. Ginger shots work the same way, with fresh ginger, turmeric, lemon and a little cayenne in one swallow.

That's a different habit from the 10-day cayenne pepper diet, or master cleanse, a fast built on lemonade. A daily glass of lemon-cayenne water alongside real meals is the habit I suggest.2

Cayenne capsules

If you'd rather not taste the heat, capsules work too: I recommend 500 mg one to three times a day, taken with a meal.2 The safety section below covers cayenne pills taken for weight loss. Keep cayenne in your cooking as well, since tasting it seemed to matter for fat burning in the cayenne-at-a-meal trial above.14

On the skin: capsaicin cream

For sore joints, a stiff back or achy muscles, the range I recommend is a 0.025% to 0.075% capsaicin cream, three or four times a day.2 Rub a small amount into the sore area until it's absorbed, then wash your hands well. Give it time and use it regularly: in the arthritis trial, 80% of the people using the cream had less pain by two weeks.32

How to take cayenne pepper for cholesterol and heart health

For your heart, take cayenne the everyday way, a pinch to 1/4 teaspoon a day in food, and build it into a heart-healthy plate: half greens and other vegetables, a quarter clean protein such as fish or poultry, and a quarter smart carbs.228 The trial that improved HDL used capsules carrying 4 mg of capsaicin a day for three months, so if you take capsules for your cholesterol, give them at least that long before you recheck.3 Our guide to cholesterol-lowering foods has more to put on that plate, and if you're working on high triglycerides, cayenne belongs in that plan too.

How to take cayenne pepper for circulation

For cold hands and feet, take cayenne warm and with ginger: a pinch in soup, stew or broth, or simmered with fresh ginger slices as a tea, the pairing I've recommended for warming the body and supporting circulation.41 A warm, cayenne-spiced breakfast is a good way to start a cold day.

Buying and storing cayenne

Look for ground cayenne with a deep, even red color and a sharp smell, since a dull, faded powder has lost some of its punch. Keep it in a tightly closed jar in a cool, dark cupboard away from the stove. If you buy whole dried pods, store them the same way and grind them as you need them, and choose fresh cayenne pods that are firm, glossy and bright red.

Cayenne pepper recipes

Each of these recipes uses cayenne, from a morning drink to a Thanksgiving gravy, so pick one this week and bring a little heat into your kitchen.

• Secret detox drink. Apple cider vinegar, lemon, ginger and cinnamon with a dash of cayenne, sweetened with raw honey.

• Ginger shots. Fresh ginger, turmeric, lemon and apple cider vinegar with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne.

• Homemade cough syrup. Raw honey, ginger, garlic and cinnamon with 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne, made for cold season.

• Spicy roasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds roasted with 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne.

• Fish tacos. Cod, halibut or mahi mahi with a pinch of cayenne in the seasoning.

• Chicken tikka masala. Chicken simmered in a spiced tomato and coconut cream sauce with 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne.

• Giblet gravy. A Thanksgiving gravy warmed with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne.

Cayenne pepper side effects and who should be careful

Cayenne in food is safe for nearly everyone, and the cautions below are mostly about how much heat you take at once and where it lands. My own caution list for cayenne is short: keep it away from your eyes and broken skin, wash your hands after you handle it, and know that it can aggravate reflux, ulcers and hemorrhoids.2

Reflux and a sensitive stomach. In a trial in which 15 people with reflux and 15 without each took 2 grams of chili in capsules and a placebo, the chili brought on more abdominal burning in the people with reflux, along with a trend toward more heartburn, while the people without reflux felt no difference.43 If you have reflux or an active ulcer, take cayenne in small amounts with meals rather than on an empty stomach or late at night, and back off if it burns. Large amounts can upset any stomach: in the heart trial, one person dropped out because the capsules irritated their digestive tract.3 Our acid reflux diet guide covers the rest.

Hemorrhoids. In a placebo-controlled trial of 50 people with hemorrhoids who each tried both, a chili capsule at lunch didn't worsen bleeding, swelling, pain, itching or burning over the next 48 hours,44 so an occasional spicy meal is fine, and during a flare, go easy.

Eyes and skin. Capsaicin burns wherever it lands, so wear gloves when you cut fresh hot peppers and keep your hands away from your eyes and nose until you've washed them. Creams often burn at first: in the osteoarthritis trials, about 1 extra person in every 3 felt burning at the site compared with a placebo cream,6 and in the psoriasis trials, the burning eased with continued use.4546 Never use a cream on broken skin or under a heating pad or tight bandage, and keep capsaicin creams away from children's hands and faces.

Cayenne pills for weight loss. In one documented case, a healthy 25-year-old man had a heart attack, most likely from a spasm of a coronary artery, after he started taking cayenne pepper pills for weight loss.47 Stay with food amounts or the capsule amount above, taken with food. Chest pain, pressure, or pain that spreads to your arm or jaw is an emergency, so call 911 right away.

Nightshade sensitivity. Cayenne is a nightshade, like tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant. Most people do fine with nightshades, and if joint pain persists, a 3-week trial without tomatoes, peppers and eggplant will tell you.48 Our guide to nightshade vegetables explains more.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Cayenne in food is fine. Skip cayenne capsules and extracts while you're pregnant or breastfeeding, since there's little research on them then.

The bottom line

Cayenne pepper: frequently asked questions

References

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Spices, pepper, red or cayenne. FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 170932 (Capsicum frutescens or Capsicum annuum; per 100 g: 318 kcal, 8.05 g water, 12.0 g protein, 17.3 g fat, 56.6 g carbohydrate, 27.2 g fiber, 10.3 g total sugars, 2,010 mg potassium, 30 mg sodium, 76.4 mg vitamin C, 2.45 mg vitamin B6, 2,080 µg vitamin A RAE, 21,800 µg beta-carotene, 13,200 µg lutein + zeaxanthin, 29.8 mg vitamin E, 80.3 µg vitamin K; 1 tsp = 1.8 g, 1 tbsp = 5.3 g). Accessed October 30, 2026.
2. Axe J. Top 50 Healing Herbs & Essential Oils. DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 (Herb 22 of 30, Heart & Circulation: Cayenne, p. 28: best for, top 5 uses ranked, how to take it, how it works, Traditional Chinese Medicine profile, use caution).
3. Qin Y, Ran L, Wang J, Yu L, Lang HD, Wang XL, et al. Capsaicin Supplementation Improved Risk Factors of Coronary Heart Disease in Individuals with Low HDL-C Levels. Nutrients. 2017;9(9):1037. doi:10.3390/nu9091037. PMID:28930174
4. Bortolotti M, Coccia G, Grossi G, Miglioli M. The treatment of functional dyspepsia with red pepper. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2002;16(6):1075-82. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2036.2002.01280.x. PMID:12030948
5. Whiting S, Derbyshire E, Tiwari BK. Capsaicinoids and capsinoids. A potential role for weight management? A systematic review of the evidence. Appetite. 2012;59(2):341-8. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.05.015. PMID:22634197
6. Tshering G, Posadzki P, Kongkaew C. Efficacy and safety of topical capsaicin in the treatment of osteoarthritis pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2024;38(7):3695-3705. doi:10.1002/ptr.8223. PMID:38761115
7. Axe J. How to Prevent & Heal Cold & Flu Naturally (Foods, Supplements, & Herbs for Rapid Recovery). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (cold and heat patterns at 2:24-3:00; "super six" warming herbs at 20:17; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw-cciZ5TTY&t=1217s).
8. Axe J. Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History. Little, Brown Spark (Hachette Book Group); 2021 (yang-boosting foods including hot peppers, p. 43; foods to avoid with excess heat, p. 46; capsaicin and substance P in the pain section).
9. Keitel W, Frerick H, Kuhn U, Schmidt U, Kuhlmann M, Bredehorst A. Capsicum pain plaster in chronic non-specific low back pain. Arzneimittelforschung. 2001;51(11):896-903. doi:10.1055/s-0031-1300134. PMID:11765591
10. Kaur M, Verma BR, Zhou L, Lak HM, Kaur S, Sammour YM, et al. Association of pepper intake with all-cause and specific cause mortality - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Prev Cardiol. 2022;9:100301. doi:10.1016/j.ajpc.2021.100301. PMID:34977833
11. Perry L, Dickau R, Zarrillo S, Holst I, Pearsall DM, Piperno DR, et al. Starch fossils and the domestication and dispersal of chili peppers (Capsicum spp. L.) in the Americas. Science. 2007;315(5814):986-8. doi:10.1126/science.1136914. PMID:17303753
12. Cichewicz RH, Thorpe PA. The antimicrobial properties of chile peppers (Capsicum species) and their uses in Mayan medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 1996;52(2):61-70. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(96)01384-0. PMID:8735449
13. Li Q, Cui Y, Jin R, Lang H, Yu H, Sun F, et al. Enjoyment of Spicy Flavor Enhances Central Salty-Taste Perception and Reduces Salt Intake and Blood Pressure. Hypertension. 2017;70(6):1291-1299. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.09950. PMID:29089370
14. Ludy MJ, Mattes RD. The effects of hedonically acceptable red pepper doses on thermogenesis and appetite. Physiol Behav. 2011;102(3-4):251-8. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.11.018. PMID:21093467
15. Chopan M, Littenberg B. The Association of Hot Red Chili Pepper Consumption and Mortality: A Large Population-Based Cohort Study. PLoS One. 2017;12(1):e0169876. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0169876. PMID:28068423
16. Lv J, Qi L, Yu C, Yang L, Guo Y, Chen Y, et al. Consumption of spicy foods and total and cause specific mortality: population based cohort study. BMJ. 2015;351:h3942. doi:10.1136/bmj.h3942. PMID:26242395
17. Axe J. How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation Naturally. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (warming spices and circulation at 23:33-24:08; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFeUM50IzBI&t=1413s).
18. Yang D, Luo Z, Ma S, Wong WT, Ma L, Zhong J, et al. Activation of TRPV1 by dietary capsaicin improves endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation and prevents hypertension. Cell Metab. 2010;12(2):130-41. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2010.05.015. PMID:20674858
19. Ahuja KD, Robertson IK, Geraghty DP, Ball MJ. The effect of 4-week chilli supplementation on metabolic and arterial function in humans. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61(3):326-33. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602517. PMID:16929238
20. Yeoh KG, Kang JY, Yap I, Guan R, Tan CC, Wee A, et al. Chili protects against aspirin-induced gastroduodenal mucosal injury in humans. Dig Dis Sci. 1995;40(3):580-3. doi:10.1007/BF02064374. PMID:7895549
21. Axe J. The Truth About LDL & Heart Disease. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (spiciness and circulation at 28:37; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpzqVv_b4OU&t=1717s).
22. Kelava L, Nemeth D, Hegyi P, Keringer P, Kovacs DK, Balasko M, et al. Dietary supplementation of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 channel agonists reduces serum total cholesterol level: a meta-analysis of controlled human trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022;62(25):7025-7035. doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1910138. PMID:33840333
23. Yang Q, La C, Prabahar K, Safargar M, Kord-Varkaneh H, Temuqile, et al. The effect of capsaicin, capsinoids, and pepper-based interventions on lipid profiles in overweight or obese individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2025;229:112478. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112478. PMID:40939866
24. Ghoreishy SM, Zeydi M, Hadi V, Jafarbeglou N, Atabaki Y, Mohammadian MK, et al. The effect of red pepper/capsaicin on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE assessment. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2026;36(6):104616. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2026.104616. PMID:41856833
25. Ahuja KD, Ball MJ. Effects of daily ingestion of chilli on serum lipoprotein oxidation in adult men and women. Br J Nutr. 2006;96(2):239-42. doi:10.1079/bjn20061788. PMID:16923216
26. Visudhiphan S, Poolsuppasit S, Piboonnukarintr O, Tumliang S. The relationship between high fibrinolytic activity and daily capsicum ingestion in Thais. Am J Clin Nutr. 1982;35(6):1452-8. doi:10.1093/ajcn/35.6.1452. PMID:7081126
27. Ma L, Zhong J, Zhao Z, Luo Z, Ma S, Sun J, et al. Activation of TRPV1 reduces vascular lipid accumulation and attenuates atherosclerosis. Cardiovasc Res. 2011;92(3):504-13. doi:10.1093/cvr/cvr245. PMID:21908651
28. Axe J. The High Blood Pressure Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 (the five-step Pressure Reset; Step 3, Open, p. 12: "Warmer hands and feet as circulation improves"; the Pressure-Lowering Plate: "Season with herbs, citrus, garlic and vinegar").
29. Cheng P, Liang T, Prabahar K, Hu J, Ye W. The influence of pepper-derived compounds on blood pressure and heart rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Food Funct. 2026;17(11):4762-4775. doi:10.1039/d6fo00419a. PMID:42148967
30. Axe J, Rubin J. Chronic Pain Relief: 14 All-Natural Painkillers. The Dr. Josh Axe Show (Ancient Medicine Today). 2017 (Dr. Axe on chili pepper at 9:36-10:50; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTShHeBAXg4&t=576s).
31. Persson MSM, Stocks J, Walsh DA, Doherty M, Zhang W. The relative efficacy of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and capsaicin in osteoarthritis: a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2018;26(12):1575-1582. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2018.08.008. PMID:30172837
32. Deal CL, Schnitzer TJ, Lipstein E, Seibold JR, Stevens RM, Levy MD, et al. Treatment of arthritis with topical capsaicin: a double-blind trial. Clin Ther. 1991;13(3):383-95. PMID:1954640
33. Derry S, Rice AS, Cole P, Tan T, Moore RA. Topical capsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;1(1):CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4. PMID:28085183
34. Derry S, Moore RA. Topical capsaicin (low concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;2012(9):CD010111. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010111. PMID:22972149
35. Debreceni A, Abdel-Salam OM, Figler M, Juricskay I, Szolcsányi J, Mózsik G. Capsaicin increases gastric emptying rate in healthy human subjects measured by 13C-labeled octanoic acid breath test. J Physiol Paris. 1999;93(5):455-60. doi:10.1016/s0928-4257(99)00114-x. PMID:10674924
36. Axe J. Top 12 Foods & Herbs for Weight Loss (BETTER THAN OZEMPIC). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (thermogenesis at 16:42-17:07; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uq92QA3MKw&t=1002s).
37. Lejeune MP, Kovacs EM, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Effect of capsaicin on substrate oxidation and weight maintenance after modest body-weight loss in human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2003;90(3):651-59. doi:10.1079/bjn2003938. PMID:13129472
38. Ahuja KD, Robertson IK, Geraghty DP, Ball MJ. Effects of chili consumption on postprandial glucose, insulin, and energy metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84(1):63-9. doi:10.1093/ajcn/84.1.63. PMID:16825682
39. Gevorgyan A, Segboer C, Gorissen R, van Drunen CM, Fokkens W. Capsaicin for non-allergic rhinitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(7):CD010591. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010591.pub2. PMID:26171907
40. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. Content current as of 2024.
41. Axe J. Top 20 Healing Herbs for Women and Men. The Dr. Josh Axe Show (Ancient Medicine Today). 2017 (cayenne at 7:58-8:45; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwndH9Wms44&t=478s).
42. Bouraoui A, Toumi A, Ben Mustapha H, Brazier JL. Effects of capsicum fruit on theophylline absorption and bioavailability in rabbits. Drug Nutr Interact. 1988;5(4):345-50. PMID:3240714
43. Patcharatrakul T, Kriengkirakul C, Chaiwatanarat T, Gonlachanvit S. Acute Effects of Red Chili, a Natural Capsaicin Receptor Agonist, on Gastric Accommodation and Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Healthy Volunteers and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Patients. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3740. doi:10.3390/nu12123740. PMID:33291700
44. Altomare DF, Rinaldi M, La Torre F, Scardigno D, Roveran A, Canuti S, et al. Red hot chili pepper and hemorrhoids: the explosion of a myth: results of a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Dis Colon Rectum. 2006;49(7):1018-23. doi:10.1007/s10350-006-0532-3. PMID:16708161
45. Ellis CN, Berberian B, Sulica VI, Dodd WA, Jarratt MT, Katz HI, et al. A double-blind evaluation of topical capsaicin in pruritic psoriasis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1993;29(3):438-42. doi:10.1016/0190-9622(93)70208-b. PMID:7688774
46. Bernstein JE, Parish LC, Rapaport M, Rosenbaum MM, Roenigk HH Jr. Effects of topically applied capsaicin on moderate and severe psoriasis vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1986;15(3):504-7. doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(86)70201-6. PMID:3760276
47. Sogut O, Kaya H, Gokdemir MT, Sezen Y. Acute myocardial infarction and coronary vasospasm associated with the ingestion of cayenne pepper pills in a 25-year-old male. Int J Emerg Med. 2012;5:5. doi:10.1186/1865-1380-5-5. PMID:22264348
48. Axe J. The Anti-Inflammatory Reset. DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 (FAQ, p. 26: "What about nightshades?").

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

Read the full bio →

This article is for educational purposes. See our medical disclaimer.