A little snippet from the Cleveland.com website about “helpful” spices in your diet, of which capsaicin would be one of them. The medicinal uses of capsaicin are well-known to some, but not enough so to the general public. Check this out:

The active ingredient that lends a hot pepper its bite is capsaicin, another anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory that may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other pro-inflammatory diseases of aging.

How it works:

It may seem like getting a mouthful of cayenne could damage your mouth, but the capsaicin actually doesn’t hurt any tissues. There is some debate on how a substance that causes a burning sensation can reduce pain, but capsaicin is actually best known as a pain reliever.

Capsaicin may help deplete a neurotransmitter called substance P that is involved in the pain and stress system. Substance P has been implicated in pain and swelling involved in headaches and arthritis. Capsaicin also has been shown to help with sinus and digestive disorders.

The FDA approved a capsaicin cream called Zostrix for the pain that lingers after an attack of shingles. The cream is also marketed for arthritis pain and the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.

Researchers in Toronto are studying capsaicin as a potential treatment for diabetes. Early work in genetically engineered mice prone to diabetes revealed it could block a key receptor site in the nervous system that may play a role in whether the mouse develops insulin resistance or diabetes.

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