Cayenne pepper

[[File:Capsicum annuum 'de Cayenne' 003.JPG|thumb|right|165px|Chilies growing in a garden]]
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[[File:Capsaicin Formulae.png|thumb|right|165px|Chemical structure of capsaicin]]
The '''cayenne pepper''' or '''Chili pepper''' (''Capsicum annuum'') is a spice.  It and related species (esp. ''C. chinense'') contain '''capsaicin''' ('''C<sub>18</sub>H<sub>27</sub>NO<sub>3</sub>'''), which is the primary source of "spiciness" in most hot sauces. The purified capsaicin extract is an ingredient in some topical remedies for joint and muscle pain, and is also the main ingredient in many pepper sprays. The bell pepper is a different cultivar of the same species as cayenne; it does not produce capsaicin. Many spices contain [[antioxidants]], and capsaicin is no exception.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12452665 Antioxidant activity of capsinoids]</ref> A 1999 study of culinary spice use found that traditional spice use was correlated with geographic latitudes and elevations, indicating that spice use likely developed as a way to counteract microbial contamination of foods (i.e., higher ambient temperatures increases microbial activity, which increases the need for more microbial control in the form of spices).<ref>[http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~burton/foodcourse/spices.html Darwinian gastronomy: Why we use spices]</ref> Another proposed explanation (not exclusive of the first) is that spicy foods encourage perspiration, helping keep the human body cooler in hot weather.

==Scoville scale==
Capsaicin content and by extension spiciness is measured by the {{wpl|Scoville scale||,}} named after its inventor, pharmacologist {{wpl|Wilbur Scoville||.}} The scale works by diluting a sample of a pepper until spiciness can no longer be detected, with stronger required dilutions being inducated by higher numbers on the scale.<ref>[https://www.alimentarium.org/en/story/scoville-scale The Scoville scale], ''Alimentaruum''</ref> A typical cayenne pepper is between 30,000-50,000 on the scale and a bell pepper is at 0, while {{wpl|Pepper X||,}} the spiciest pepper yet cultivated, sits at a whopping 2.693 million Scoville units.<ref>[https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-makes-pepper-x-so-hot/ How Hot Is ‘Pepper X’? Its Creator Spent 6 Hours Recovering from Eating It], Stephanie Pappas, ''Scientific American'' 26 October 2023</ref>

==Woo==
Apparently Cayenne is now recommended as an herbal treatment for heart attacks on the just-vague-enough-to-sound-believable premise that it "promotes warm blood circulation".<ref>[http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/19037046-423/can-cayenne-pepper-stop-a-heart-attack.html#.VHSaLclNzJ8 Can cayenne pepper stop a heart attack?] [[Betteridge's_law_of_headlines|let's say no]]</ref> Suffice it to say, this mechanism is poorly established at best, and in sensitive individuals, exposure to capsaicin has been known to '''cause''' heart attacks.<ref>[http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn26707-eng.pdf Comments on the use of capsaicin spray] (page 5)</ref> (Capsaicin is an irritant, after all.) And while some small positive metabolic changes have been seen in rat models,<ref>[http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/27/1_MeetingAbstracts/862.19 Effects of cayenne pepper on hepatic gene expression involved in lipid metabolism in DSS treated rats fed an atherogenic diet]</ref> human use of cayenne pepper for metabolic regulation can have nasty side effects, like most spicy peppers.<ref>[http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1865-1380-5-5 a 25 year old developing severe cardiac symptoms as a result]</ref><ref>[http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00508-012-0163-8 and a 41 year old]</ref>

==Derivation==
Cayenne is the capital city of French Guiana, which seems to have derived its name from one of the many rivers in the area. Hot peppers are known there, but the local cuisine, although spicy, is not notably sphincter-burning.

==References==
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[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Chemicals]]
[[Category:Food woo]]
[[Category:Plants]]

Categories: Alternative medicine, Chemicals, Food woo, Plants