You may be interested to know that there are lots of choices of Cayenne purchases out there in the world,
including different shades of reds and oranges. In ordinary grocery stores, Cayenne is sometimes, labeled
as "mild," "medium,' "hot." If you have access to herb supplies from an herb or health food store, however,
you'll find the hotness of Cayenne is often rated in the thousands of HUs (heat units). This includes everything
from the average Chinese varieties rated in 40,000 HUs, to the "blast-your-tongue" hotness of African Bird
Pepper, often rated at 100,000 HUs and more. The chemical responsible for the hotness of Cayenne, as well as
for its medicinal effects, is capsaicin. This chemical causes a burning sensation in any tissue it comes
in contact with. Capsaicin stimulates the release of Substance P, a chemical that acts on the nerves in
a way that causes them to transmit a pain signal in the early stages of use. With repeated use of Cayenne,
however, the nerves become inured to this stimulation of Substance P, and subsequently respond with fewer
and fewer pain signals.
From 10 Essential Herbs Copyright 1992 Lalitha Thomas, Published by Hohm Press, used by permission.
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