Gout and Cayenne Pepper

Spice up your gout with some cayenne pepper!

Cayenne pepper has been used medicinally in China and the Americas for centuries. Cayenne pepper may be used to treat many ailments like heartburn, fever, flatulence (helping stimulate the digestive tract) nausea, tonsillitis, migraines, colds and the flu (helping break up and move congested mucus), supports weight loss, may be considered a anit-cancer agent, may help blood circulation and might prevent factors leading to the formation of blood clots helping reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke which many gout sufferers are at risk of.

It also may help to keep blood pressure levels normal and may help produce HDL, the good kind cholesterol. Considering that heart disease is the number one killer in North America, this is significant. Cayenne pepper has recently grown in popularity for cleansing and detox regimens since the spice stimulates circulation and neutralizes acidity in the body.

Well guess what? I wouldn’t be talking about cayenne pepper if it couldn’t also help with your gout! First of all, cayenne pepper is used by people who suffer not only from gout but arthritis as well and gout is a type of arthritis as you know. What makes cayenne pepper special is the substance in it called capsaicin or capsicum which makes cayenne pepper hot and spicy. Used topically on the skin may offer joint-pain relief on the affected area.

It does this by sending chemical messengers from the skin into the joint but it does it differently. Its action actually irritates the skin getting rid of the pain messengers making the brain stop from reacting to the pain! Mix it into a paste with water or apple cider vinegar and apply it to the affected area. You can also purchase Capsaicin cream at your local pharmacy for joint-pain relief. Make sure to wash your hands well after using it since it can cause severe pain if you get it in your eyes or on your mouth.

Although you can use it topically, it doesn’t mean you can’t eat it too! Add this vegetable or spice in your diet to help lower uric acid levels which helps to metabolize your food and toxins. Remember that cayenne pepper is a powerful anti-inflammatory and is known as one of the better gout and arthritis pain relievers.

If you are going to eat cayenne, it is recommended that you combine it with a starchy food. If you don’t like eating it, you can take cayenne pepper supplements found on Amazon in the form of capsules or tablets. You can even consume cayenne pepper in the form of a tea if you prefer. Whatever you do, please do not forget to consult with your doctor before adding cayenne pepper in your diet since it can interact with other drugs that you may be taking.