Cayenne

Cayenne is basically an herb that is prized for thousand of years for its great healing potency. Cayenne, which is also called as Capsicum, obtains its name from the Greek, “to bite” which is basically an allusion to the hot spicy qualities of its fruits and seeds. From the cayenne plant, a product known as “cayenne pepper” was produced and was first introduced into Britain from India in the year 1548. Today, cayenne pepper is revered for its various beneficial health effects.

Cayenne is actually a shrubby herb of two to six feet high. Since it has a very pungent taste and aroma, the potent and hot fruit of cayenne has been applied in many areas as medicine for many centuries. Historically, cayenne is though useful for a variety of conditions of gastrointestinal tract, involving the onset of stomach aches, cramping pains, and gas. Aside from that, cayenne was also applied to treat disorders of the circulatory system. And in the traditional herbal medicine, cayenne is still used as a circulatory tonic, which is a substance that is believed to enhance the circulation.

Traditionally, cayenne is frequently rubbed on the skin as a cure for rheumatic pains as well as arthritis that is basically caused to what it now termed as “counterirritant effect”. The counterirritant is that something that roots the onset of irritation to a tissue to which it is used, therefore distracting from the main irritation. A clear example for this is the joint pain in the case of arthritis.

But cayenne is not just a healer from the ancient history. Numerous recent clinical trials have been conducted to validate the health benefits of this miracle herb and fortunately, the therapeutic value of cayenne has been validated and the claims are now being supported.

Recent studies have noted that cayenne is helpful for treating dyspepsia symptoms. In fact, the New England Journal of Medicine has reported that three Italian doctors explained how they were able to make their dyspepsia patients feel better after prescribing the cayenne pepper powder.

Aside from that, cayenne is also useful for treating digestion discomforts since it is found out that this miracle herb can rebuild the tissue in the stomach including the peristaltic action in the intestines. It therefore assists the eradication and assimilation and it aids the human body in producing hydrochloric acid, which is said to be important in for the proper digestion as well as assimilation, most especially of proteins.

Cayenne is also beneficial for those who have heart disease such as heart attacks. In fact, some reports have noted that this herb has been known to stop heart attacks within 30 seconds. That is how great the effects of cayenne, that it even encouraged thousands of heart attack patients to take the extract for a much better condition. It has also a pain-relieving effect that it is used as a treatment for post-herpetic neuropathy or the pain that stays after an attack of shingles. Along with that, it is also applied for peripheral neuropathy and nerve pain after cancer surgery and arthritis.

With its multiple health benefits, cayenne is now offered in health outlets in the form of either pill or powder. It is often added to tonics to ward off disorders and for persons who are addicted to it seems to be valuable possibly by decreasing the dilated blood vessels, therefore providing a relief for chronic digestion.

Herbal Vitamins

Nature offers a host of plants with various medicinal and therapeutic uses. For eons, our ancestors have used the leaves, bark, berries, roots, gums, seeds, stems, and flowers from plants found in their surroundings to treat all sorts of sicknesses and ailments. Because of its many benefits, the people during the ancient times came to see plants as symbols of life, worshipping them and calling them “sacred.” Today, we call upon that old belief as the dietary supplement industry market extracts of those same herbs of long ago.

Herbs are known to be rich sources of vitamins and minerals. In fact, almost all vitamins and minerals essential for the body are found in herbs. Below are a few herbs and the herbal vitamins they contain.

Alfalfa – Herbal Vitamin

Native to the Middle East, the Alfalfa plant was once regarded as the “father of all herbs.” It is a perennial flowering plant of the genus Medicago under the pea family, Fabaceae. It is known for its many therapeutic benefits and has been used for years as an herbal vitamin.

The part of the alfalfa plant that is used is the leaves. Like most leaves of herbal vitamins, the alfalfa contains rich concentrations of calcium, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamin A, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. In addition to that, this herbal vitamin is found to contain all eight of the essential amino acids and traces of fluoride.

Aloe Vera – Herbal Vitamin

Aloe Vera is a group of plants belonging to the family Asphodelaceae. There are about 400 species of Aloe, growing in the drier parts of Africa, especially in South Africa’s Cape Province. This herbal vitamin is considered as a succulent and as such, its leaves and stems are filled with liquid sap. It is the sap of the aloe that is used for medicinal purposes. Since the ancient times, the aloe has been recognized as an analgesic, used for treating burns and skin conditions, such as scrapes, sunburns, and insect bites. It is said to be rich in vitamin C, which is good for the skin.

Capsicum – Herbal Vitamin

Capsicum frutescens or Cayenne is a species of pepper under the nightshade family of plants. It is highly valued for its fruit, which is usually dried, pounded, or pulped to produce the famous cayenne peppers used for culinary purposes. This herbal vitamin is highly nutritious and very rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin B-complex. Moreover, it also contains the minerals iron, calcium, and phosphorous. The cayenne pepper is red because of its high concentrations of vitamin A.