Your body needs cholesterol for many important processes, such as maintaining cell membranes, producing hormones and supporting biochemical reactions. However, when cholesterol levels in your blood become too high, fatty deposits called plaque may build up in your arteries, raising your risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. Cayenne peppers contain a natural compound called capsaicin that may help suppress plaque formation. Consult your doctor to discuss cayenne before adding it to your regimen.
LDL and Plaque
Cholesterol travels in your blood in a complex with protein called a lipoprotein. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is called "bad" cholesterol because it tends to form plaque in your arteries when its level is too high. Plaque may build up and interfere with blood flow by narrowing vessels, especially in coronary arteries that supply the heart. One of the early steps in plaque formation involves oxidation of LDL, a process that modifies it biochemically to form these fatty deposits.
Cayenne Pepper
Native Americans and practitioners of traditional Asian medicine have used cayenne peppers medicinally for thousands of years. It is often recommended for digestive problems, circulatory ailments and, when used topically, for arthritis and muscular pain. Cayenne peppers contain a natural compound called capsaicin that has medicinal properties. A type of chemical called an alkaloid, capsaicin inhibits transmission of pain signals from your nerves to your brain. It also is an antioxidant, suppressing oxidation of many compounds.
Cayenne and LDL
Capsaicin is a very powerful antioxidant, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, which states that it has about eight times the antioxidant activity of vitamin C. In a clinical study of pepper ingestion published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" in 2006, healthy human subjects who consumed peppers regularly for four weeks had significantly less oxidation of LDL in their blood that did other subjects who ate a bland diet. Large clinical trials with cayenne peppers are still needed, but the results of this study are very promising and suggest that cayenne may reduce plaque formation from LDL.
Recommendations and Precautions
Cayenne is available as a supplement from most health food stores. Choose a preparation that contains at least 0.75 percent capsaicin and between 30 and 120 mg cayenne per capsule. The usual dose is one capsule, three times daily. Although generally considered safe, cayenne may cause stomach irritation in some people. Do not take cayenne if you have an ulcer or experience heartburn regularly, or if you are pregnant. Cayenne may interact with some prescription medications such as medicines that reduce stomach acid or blood thinners. Discuss cayenne with your doctor to decide if it is appropriate for you.
References
- National Cholesterol Education Program: High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Diet, LDL Oxidation and Coronary Artery Disease; P. Zock and M. Katan; 1998
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Cayenne
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cayenne
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Effects of Daily Ingestion of Chili on Serum Lipoprotein Oxidation in Adult Men and Women; K. Ahuja and M. Ball; August 2006
