The Cayenne Pepper pages. Cayenne Pepper is an herb that contains 40,000 heat units per per capsule of 450 mg Capsicum annuum . Its active ingredient is capsaicin. It also contains alkaloids, vitamin C, potassium and volatile oils.
Cayenne is a hot pepper which has had an honorable history in herbology.
It is said to make other herbs work better and has been used by itself for circulation problems and stomach ills. The active ingredient, capsaicin, is commonly used in OTC pain creams for shingles and arthritis. When taken internally it warms the body, raises metabolism, and increases circulation. This can be useful in weight loss for those with a low basal temperature. It also helps control high blood cholesterol levels.