Cayenne pepper, a small hot pepper used medicinally to treat pain when applied as a topical cream, is a vegetable high in carotenoids. While cayenne pepper may have proven medical uses to treat arthritis pain, there's no clinical proof at all that it has any value for use in treating macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness in people over age 60.
Properties
Like other brightly colored vegetables, cayenne peppers contain carotenoids. Carotenoids such as beta-carotene may act as antioxidants, which attack and destroy molecules called free radicals that can damage cell DNA. Some carotenoids are also provitamin A carotenoids, meaning that they convert into the active form of vitamin A, retinol, after being eaten. The main medical use for cayenne comes from its capsaicin content. Capsaicin decreases pain by depleting substance P.
Macular Degeneration and Beta-Carotene
A large National Eye Institute study called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study or AREDs study, looked at the effect of a combination of supplements, including 15 mg of beta-carotene, for prevention or slowing the risk of developing wet macular degeneration in people who already had the less serious dry form of the disease. The study showed that the formula, which also includes vitamins C and E plus zinc and copper, reduced the risk of dry AMD advancing to the wet form by around 25 percent, according to AMD.org. Since cayenne peppers, like many other vegetables, contain beta-carotene, they may have health benefits associated with beta-carotene. However, no specific studies on cayenne pepper and macular degeneration exist.
Macular Degeneration and Lutein
Other carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin may have benefits in the eye. Both lutein and zeaxanthin absorb blue light in the eye, which can damage the retina and could lead to the development of macular degeneration. Since peppers do contain lutein, they may have some benefit against macular degeneration, although this is untested. Although early studies show promise, additional research to determine the exact benefits and dosages of lutein have yet to be determined, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School reported in the March 2002 issue of "Journal of Nutrition."
Considerations
The value of cayenne pepper on any eye disease has not been tested. However, in the AREDS study, beta- carotene was determined to increase the risk of developing lung cancer in smokers. Cayenne peppers are difficult to consume in large quantities even if you wanted to, because they can irritate the stomach lining. Ingesting cayenne can also cause throat irritation and watering of the eyes. Do not take large amounts of cayenne pepper to treat or prevent macular degeneration without your doctor's approval.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Cayenne; Steven Ehrlich; November 2008
- AMD.org: Progression of AMD
- "Journal of Nutrition;" The Body of Evidence to Support a Protective Role for Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Delaying Chronic Disease; J. Mares-Perlman, et al.; March 2002
- University of Michigan Health System; Cayenne; December 2009
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry;" Bioaccessibility, Uptake, and Transport of Carotenoids from Peppers (Capsicum spp.); L. O'Sullivan, et al.; May 2010
