“If you master only one herb in your life, master cayenne pepper. It is more powerful than anything else.”
Dr. Richard Shulze.
Origins
Chili is the Aztec name for cayenne pepper. It has been used by Native Americans as food and medicine for at least nine thousand years. Based on archeological evidence, its cultivation in Mexico is believed to have begun around seven thousand years ago. It was first introduced to Europe by Dr. Diego Alvarez Chanca, who accompanied explorer Cristoforo Colombo to the West Indies. From Europe, it was then transported to most tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones around the world.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne and Ayurvedic Medicine
Cayenne was introduced into traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine as well as traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean medicines, respectively. In Ayurvedic medicine, a combination of cayenne, garlic, and liquid amber are used externally in paste or plaster form as a rubefacient (agent which reddens the skin) and local stimulant. The dried fruit and/or tincture are also used internally to treat flatulent dyspepsia and atony of digestive organs. In Chinese medicine, cayenne is considered to have digestive stimulant action and is sometimes used to cause diaphoresis. Topically, it is used in China and Japan in an ointment form to treat myalgia and frostbite.
