I broke through my amateur culinary celling when I incorporated the powerful Cayenne pepper into my arsenal of spices. Before I knew much about cooking I thought adding black pepper was a stretch until I found out about the kick of heat presented by the cayenne pepper. It became a game-changer, not only for the taste but for the overall health benefits as well.
Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which increases your metabolic rate. It’s also known to raise the body temperature, regulate blood sugar, stimulate the circulatory system, aid in digestion, and relieve joint pains and inflammation. Too bad it can’t do the dishes, but as you can see it’s full of a variety of benefits.
I love to mix it in my homemade chicken noodle soup to bring the heat, especially in the colder months to come.
Let’s go back to capsaicin. Capsaicin is responsible for the heat cayenne pepper gives off which is responsible for all those benefits. Capsaicin is known to produce extra heat in our body and burn more fat and calories in the process. This can increase our body’s metabolic rate by 20 per cent for up to 2 hours. Studies have found that Capsaicin can suppress hunger as well. For me personally, I try to add in cayenne pepper power wherever I can throughout the day. I’ll put some on my eggs in the morning or in my soup at night. I love to mix it in my homemade chicken noodle soup to bring the heat, especially in the colder months to come.
I suggest looking into adding cayenne pepper to your everyday diet when you can. After a week or so take note of any changes in your body you may feel such as reduced joint pain from the anti-inflammatory properties. There is a whole mess of information regarding the health benefits of this super spice. Other than the fiery taste, the metabolism boost has to make cayenne pepper a staple in my everyday diet. Give it a try and if your taste buds can handle the heat, your body with thank you later.
Photo By: Mel Ricketts
