[stephandra]

I just recently started researching the amazing benefits of this spice! I am 22 and already starting to get varicose veins in my right leg! It's hereditary, but I've read that cayenne pepper helps them go away...among a zillion other health benefits like helping your circulation, your heart, AAAAND metabolism! So my question is this: does anybody here make a conscious effort to include this in their diet? What is your favorite way to do so? A sprinkle here and there? How much do you think is needed to reap the benefits? Sorry so many questions, I'm just very excited about my discovery...I'm a newbie

[Suzanne 3FC]

It's my understanding that the effect is minor and only lasts a few minutes. Also, it should be avoided if you have high blood pressure, which many overweight or obese people have (and may not know it yet).

Some people report eating less if they sprinkle their food with hot pepper, which is understandable.

My personal opinion is to use it if you like the taste, but not to count on it to help weight loss. Just measure your food, count your calories, and move your body more

[Suzanne 3FC]

Oh, I have a number for you.

If you weigh 200 pounds, you probably burn around 32 calories while sitting or resting for 20 minutes. If you consume the hot pepper, your metabolism could rise as much as 8% for about 20 minutes (or less) after you consume it.

Assuming you are sitting or resting immediately after your meal, you would burn an additional 2.56 calories as a result of the increase in metabolism from the hot pepper.

If you did this 4 times a day you've burned an extra ten calories. Since you need to burn 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat, it would take one year to lose one pound.

[carter]

I don't know about any health benefits, but I love spicy food, so I go through a decent amount of cayenne in my cooking. I also use fresh hot peppers all the time - any time I am sauteeing vegetables, for example, I'll toss in a crushed clove of garlic and a thinly sliced chili pepper. I bought a quart of little hot hot chilies at a farm market about a month ago, and just stuck them in a baggie in the freezer. I just take one out, slice it, and into the hot oil it goes.

[Wildflower]

I do, but not really for health reasons. I just like it. The only health reason I would use it is to clear my sinuses if I had a cold. LOL, I actually did this yesterday by adding it to my miso soup.

My dad keeps it in a salt shaker for the cardiovascular effects it's meant to have...not sure if it helps him with that.

Here are my favorite uses:

fried eggs - i break the yolk and sprinkle in some cayenne pepper and salt, then flip it over...so it's over hard not really fried I suppose

butternut squash soup (in those cartons like from Imagine or Pacific foods)

Baked potatoes - sweet or white

cottage cheese - this is pretty essential for me! I pretty much can't eat it without

I also use Tabasco on pizza, soups, macaroni and cheese, chili, tacos, beans and scrambled eggs.

Yummm.