Chili pepper – Capsicum frutescens
Most people know the red pods as a spice used in exotic cuisine. However, the heat of the chilli not only gives dishes such as chilli con carne from North America or spaghetti all'arrabbiata their distinctive flavour, but can also be used to alleviate physical pain.
A sharpness that combats pain.
Fields of application
The ingredient capsaicin, which is found in the fruits of this chilli variety, has a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect when applied locally. This positive effect is achieved by blocking the pain receptors and thus making the nerve endings less sensitive. The areas of application for cayenne pepper include muscle and back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, nerve pain such as that caused by shingles (herpes zoster) and diabetic neuropathy. Capsaicin can also help with trigeminal neuralgia, a form of facial pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. When applied topically, capsaicin also causes irritation of heat receptors, which leads to increased blood flow and thus to loosening of tense muscles. Cayenne pepper is thus effective in relieving painful muscle tension.
Botanical characteristics
The chilli variety Cayenne always bears its red pepper fruits upright, which distinguishes it from other types of pepper. The bushy half-shrub has oval to lanceolate leaves and white flowers. These are arranged in groups and bloom from June to September. Cayenne pepper originally comes from tropical Central and South America, but today there are around two hundred cultivated varieties that are grown in tropical climates all over the world. The fruits of this exotic plant, which is mainly imported into Europe from Africa, are used for medicinal purposes.