5 surprising uses of cayenne pepper for your health

Most people know that peppers are great in cooking as they add flavor to the food. You can use mild peppers to very spicy peppers to get the flair you want for your dish. Using peppers to take care of physical problems, though, seems like a novel idea.
Actually, Medical News Today shares that cayenne pepper has been used by Native American Indians for thousands of years to treat a number of different problems. Listed below are 5 amazing ways cayenne peppers may be able to benefit you.
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1. Arthritis treatment. One of the key ingredients in cayenne peppers is capsaicin, a known pain reliever, which works by reducing pain messengers in the brain. According to Medical News Today, studies show that topical creams help with arthritic joint pain. Decades of Health offers a simple recipe for making your own: Mix 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper with 5 tablespoons coconut oil.
2. Migraine headaches. Dr. Axe says that another great benefit of reducing the pain messengers is that you can use cayenne pepper to help alleviate migraine headaches. For quick relief, you can make a tea. Alternative Daily says to add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to 1 cup of boiling water and stir it until the pepper is fully dissolved. Then add the juice from one-half of a lemon. Let the tea steep for five minutes and then drink.
3. Neuropathy. Another great use for the cayenne cream is treating neuropathy from diabetes or cancer treatments, according to WebMD. Be sure to wear gloves when applying the cream as you may get a secondary transfer to other places such as your eyes and face if you don't get it cleaned off well.
4. Weight loss. Finding an easy way to lose weight is always a plus. Medical News Today says that eating cayenne pepper with a meal does cause people to burn 10 more calories than those who don't. To truly see a difference in weight, you would need to do more than just add cayenne pepper to your dishes.
5. Congestion. Dr. Mercola says that the heat from the cayenne pepper helps loosen phlegm and mucous so it's easier to get rid of. Drinking it in a tea gives you the added benefits of the warm steam.
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If you want daily benefits from cayenne pepper, try adding it to your regular cooking. It goes great as a spice in rice or on meat. Be careful as the pepper can be hard on your digestive system. If taking it in by mouth is too much, try making your own cream and applying it topically. With such amazing benefits from a tiny pepper, why not give it a shot? You may be surprised by how much a small amount of pepper can do for you.
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RemedyDaily.com does not give medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.