From the April 2003 Idaho Observer:

Cayenne Pepper: #1 herb for today's illnesses

by Ingri Cassel

When I receive information in “3s”, this most definitely gets my attention. This past month, a gentleman inspired me to take cayenne tea on a daily basis. This man has been drinking cayenne tea three times a day for the past several years and has been reaping the health benefits. He hasn't gotten sick since he began this regimen and feels 20 years younger.

Soon after he shared the above with me, I received calls from two different subscribers to The IO. Both people were suffering from health problems that could easily be resolved through the daily use of cayenne. Both of these people were taking pharmaceutical drugs to alleviate their problems -- one is on high blood pressure medication and the other was on a medication to minimize the symptoms of internal bleeding ulcers.

We need to remember that pharmaceutical drugs never cure the condition, but instead create a dependence on their product for manageability of symptoms.

Cayenne, or capsicum anum, has been used for over 7,000 years as a food, a condiment, and a medicine. The plant originated in the Americas where it was used by natives south of the Mexican border and South America. Cayenne was introduced into Europe, India and Asia via the early trade merchants who dealt in spices during the 15th and 16th centuries. The use of cayenne as a medicine was first recorded by Columbus's physician, Dr. Chanca. From there its medicinal value was brought to light in some of the early European herbal books. By the 19th century, cayenne was well-known in many apothecaries in the United States and abroad.

During the early part of the 19th century, Dr. Samuel Thomson taught a group of physicians how to use cayenne successfully in their practices. These early naturopaths were known as Thomsonians and they employed cayenne for all cases of poor circulation, debility, indigestion, constipation, rheumatism, paralysis and general swelling in the joints.

Over sixty years ago Dr. John R. Christopher, the father of American herbology, was taught the value of cayenne by his teacher at Dominion Herbal College in British Columbia, Dr. H. Nowell. He relates the following story in a newsletter he wrote on cayenne:

I sat in class and Dr. Nowell said, “We will now study today cayenne, which is actually called capsicum.” I raised my hand and said, “Dr. Nowell, why are we studying cayenne? It will burn the lining out of your stomach.”

Everyone in class laughed except Dr. Nowell. He said, “By the way, where did you get your information?”

I said my mother told me and then everybody laughed except Dr. Nowell. He said, “Just what was her herbal degree?”

Well, I guess she had none at all. “Well, that's interesting,” he said. “Could I see you after class?” After class in his car he drove me around Vancouver, British Columbia, and introduced me to at least a dozen people whose lives had been saved with cayenne -- some with heart attacks, some with asthmatic conditions and various other things. He didn't have to do this, but he was a great teacher, and he took the time to show me how great cayenne could be, used properly on the human body. Well, I never forgot this, and as I started in the practice myself, I prescribed cayenne very extensively.

Dr. Christopher then shared in his newsletter his own powerful testimony:

I had hardening of the arteries, during my 20 and 30 year span, to a point that it was very severe. No insurance company at this time, would even take me for a $1,000 policy. So you can tell how bad a condition I was in. I was quite concerned about it, and started using cayenne.

I worked up to a teaspoon three times a day, and I continued on from the time I was 35 and am still using it. It was amazing! By the time I was 45 years of age, ten years after I started using cayenne, a group wanted me to have a $100,000 policy to insure them on a business deal we were working out. I went for the examination.

Being this large a policy, the insurance company required two medical doctors, each to give two physical exams at various times (being four times to have physicals with these two doctors). I took the examination and one medical doctor when he got through, said, “Well, this is astounding. I see your age is forty-five years, but you have the venous structure of a teenage boy.” He said, “This is excellent,” and gave me a clean bill of health.

I went to the other doctor and on his second examination he did the blood pressure test on my arm. He pumped his equipment up five different times and my arm was getting irritated by it, and I was getting a little perturbed, and I said, “What's the matter, doesn't your equipment work?” “Oh yes, it always has up until now, but I keep looking at your chart and it says you are 45 years of age and yet your systolic over your diastolic is absolutely perfect. I cannot comprehend it.”

I said, “That's correct. It is perfect.” And he also gave me a clean bill of health. So I passed at 45 years of age for a $100,000 policy with a good blood pressure showing, thanks to cayenne.

I have been told by medical doctors that because of my arthritis, hardening of the arteries, stomach ulcers and some auto accidents that banged me up pretty badly, that I couldn't live past my 40th year. Yet, at 45 years I was pronounced in good condition.

This, to me, was one of my biggest sales points on cayenne. If it could help me, it could help anybody. I have seen it used so many times over the years with such success, that I feel that it is one of our great herbs. In 35 years of practice, and working with the people and teaching, I have never on house calls lost one heart attack patient and the reason is, whenever I go -- if they are still breathing -- I pour down them one cup of cayenne tea (a teaspoon of cayenne in a cup of hot water, and within minutes they are up and around). This is one of the fastest acting aids we could ever give the heart, because it feeds the heart muscle immediately.

Next month this column will continue on the value of using cayenne DAILY. In fact, I just may cover this topic for the next two months, it is that IMPORTANT. And if you are worried about SARS, then cayenne is for YOU! Also, please see the Sept and Oct. 1999 Idaho Observer regarding the multiple uses of cayenne with awesome testimonies.