African Bird Pepper, also known as Capsicum Annum or Capsicum frutescens, is a hot chili that grows wild in parts of northwest Africa. This exotic, flavorful chili pepper is considered to be the hottest member of the “bird” pepper family. With a scorching heat, it can awaken many dishes including soups, casseroles, chowders, and curried dishes.
The African Bird’s Eye belongs to the Capsicum frutescens species, making it a close relative of the tabasco chili. For centuries, the Bird’s Eye chili has grown wild in Africa, but it is also commercially cultivated in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, as well as Papua New Guinea, India, Chile, Mexico, and China.
Nutritional Breakdown
Cayenne peppers and other types of hot peppers are a concentrated source of many nutrients and can be a healthy addition to your diet. Just one chili pepper provides an impressive amount of nutrients.
Here’s the nutritional breakdown for one 45-gram hot red chili pepper:
- Calories: 18
- Protein: 0.8 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Carbs: 3.9 grams
- Fiber: 0.7 grams
- Vitamin C: 72% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Provitamin A: 48% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 5% of the DV
Chili peppers like cayenne peppers are especially rich in provitamin A carotenoids and vitamin C. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that’s involved in many aspects of health, such as the functioning of the immune system, vision, reproduction, growth and development, and bone health. Just one 45-gram chili pepper provides 72% of this nutrient. Like vitamin A, vitamin C is essential to immune health and also plays critical roles in collagen production, iron absorption, and neurotransmitter synthesis. Additionally, hot peppers like cayenne peppers provide nutrients like B6, vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium.
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The Power of Capsaicin
Many of the health benefits attributed to hot peppers like cayenne peppers are linked to their capsaicin content. Capsaicin, the compound that gives cayenne peppers their signature spicy flavor, is linked to some health benefits when consumed in supplement form. However, since the related research didn’t investigate cayenne pepper specifically, more studies are needed.
When you consume it in high-dose supplement form or apply it topically, capsaicin may offer several health benefits, including pain relief, improved athletic performance, and lowered blood sugar levels. Research also suggests that capsaicin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Even though the capsaicin found in cayenne peppers likely offers some benefits, more research is needed to fully understand how capsaicin derived from normal serving sizes of cayenne peppers affects health.
The capsaicin in African bird peppers contains metabolism-boosting properties, helping to maintain life-sustaining chemical processes/reactions in living organisms. It also has other purposes like transporting substances from one cell to another, allowing organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and adapt and respond to stimuli within their environments.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Although capsaicin is perhaps the most well-known plant compound found in cayenne peppers, they contain many more protective plant compounds that may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the body. For example, cayenne peppers provide flavonoids, vitamin C, and carotenoids. All of these may help protect against cellular damage caused by oxidative stress - an imbalance between damaging molecules called free radicals and antioxidant defenses in the body.
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A 2015 study showed that Capsicum annuum pepper varieties, including a type of cayenne pepper, had the greatest antioxidant activity compared with other types of peppers, including habanero-type peppers (C. chinense). Consuming cayenne peppers, along with other fruits and vegetables, is a smart way to keep yourself healthy while providing your body with protective plant compounds and essential nutrients.
The substances found in African Bird Pepper like magnesium, potassium, and calcium helps to decrease and regulate high blood pressure (hypertension) in people. Other substances/compounds found in African bird pepper also attributes to this like choline and lutein but the three minerals stated above are the top substances that people use regularly in consumption. African bird pepper is also may be beneficial for arthritis, headaches, and cardiovascular issues.
Antioxidants are like the stop button for the free radicals that are byproducts of the process of oxidation. Free radicals are highly reactive due to the free unpaired valence electrons (these electrons are what give the atom its properties as well as participate in chemical processes) that they have. These said free unpaired valence electrons can stimulate other reactions that may lead to cancer and other diseases.
Potential Health Benefits
Even though studies on cayenne pepper intake and health are limited, some studies have associated hot pepper consumption in general with improved health outcomes. Researchers think that the beneficial compounds found in hot peppers, including capsaicin, may help reduce inflammation and oxidative damage, which could help protect against certain health conditions, including heart disease.
For example, a 2019 Italian study that included 22,811 adults found that regular chili pepper consumption was associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease. Some researchers suggest that capsaicin may improve certain aspects of cardiovascular health, including blood vessel function, but more studies are needed to confirm this potential benefit.
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A large 2021 review of four observational studies found that chili pepper consumption was associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes. Other studies have also linked chili pepper consumption to a lower risk of all-cause mortality.
Medicinally, the pepper offers some benefits too. Some of the medical benefits include pain-relieving properties. It relieves pain associated with toothaches as well as arthritis. Even though it’s hot, it is also good for the digestive system. In particular, it is good for the stomach and helps relieve gas. African Bird Pepper has the ability to ease stomach upset, ulcers, soar throats, spasmodic and irritating coughs as well as diarrhea.
When you have a cold or flu, African Bird Pepper helps break up congested mucus and gets it moving. Once the mucus starts to leave your body, you will get some relief from many of the flu symptoms you may be experiencing. The results of one study indicated that African Bird Pepper could effectively prevent the formation of the fungal pathogens phomopsis and collectotrichum. Many naturopaths have known of the health benefits of African Bird Pepper, especially for headaches.
This may be related to the pepper’s ability to stimulate a pain response in a different area of the body, thus reverting the brain’s attention to the new site. Following this initial pain reaction, the nerve fibers have a depleted substance P (the nerve’s pain chemical), and the perception of pain is lessened. African Bird Pepper is a wonderful anti-inflammatory agent and may even help w/ allergies.
Reducing Salt Intake
Although salt isn’t bad for you when you eat it in small amounts, consuming too much salt can take a toll on your health and may even increase your risk of certain health conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease. Interestingly, using cayenne to flavor your food may help you cut back on your salt intake.
A 2017 study found that when participants added cayenne pepper to soup, they were less likely to desire salt, were less hungry, and felt fuller 1 hour after their meal. If you’re using salt to flavor your food, you could try adding a dash of powdered cayenne pepper to see whether it helps you use less salt.
You could also try adding fresh, finely chopped cayenne pepper to recipes like omelets and salad dressings to reduce the need for added salt. Using cayenne pepper may help cut down on your use of added salt, which could benefit health.
How to Use African Bird Pepper
You can use cayenne pepper in a variety of ways. This pepper contains carotene molecules that have potent antioxidant elements. African Bird Pepper is a potent natural healer widely used in traditional medicine for its circulatory, digestive, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Here are a few ways to use cayenne:
- Add finely chopped fresh cayenne to stir-fries.
- Use a bit of powdered cayenne in stews, chilis, and soups.
- Add powdered or chopped fresh cayenne to baked goods like cornbread and chocolate cake.
- Mix a bit of powdered cayenne into egg dishes, such as frittatas and omelets.
- Sprinkle a bit of powdered cayenne in your hot chocolate for a spicy twist.
- Use fresh or powdered cayenne in dressings and marinades.
- Add cayenne pepper to homemade fire cider.
- Make your own hot sauce with cayenne and a few other simple ingredients.
Since the Bird’s Eye doesn’t carry as much heat as some other varieties, they are more widely used. They are a favorite for spicing up fish and seafood, which are staples in many areas around the globe. African Bird’s Eye adds a bit of flavor to chili con carne, tacos or nachos. Since it is flavorful, it can also be used as a substitute for Cayenne Pepper when seasoning sausage, pot roast, poultry, and barbecued meats as well as a vast number of dishes of the Portuguese cuisine.
You can buy this in its whole or ground form. If you can’t find it at your local farmer’s market, food stores or supermarkets then try online. A recommendation is to handle with care, so it’s best to always wash your hands after handling the pepper.
Tea Recipe: Add ¼ teaspoon of African Bird Pepper to hot water, seeded key limes or limes, or simply to your herbal tea.
When working with cayenne peppers or any other spicy pepper in the kitchen, avoid touching your eyes after handling them. Cayenne peppers may irritate your eyes and skin, so wash your hands thoroughly after chopping or touching them. Also, if spicy foods tend to upset your stomach or give you heartburn, you may want to avoid cayenne, especially in large doses.
Normal serving sizes of both fresh and powdered cayenne pepper are safe. However, taking high-dose cayenne pepper supplements has been linked to dangerous side effects in some people, including irregular heartbeat and elevated blood pressure. High-dose cayenne pepper supplements appear to have led to heart attacks in at least two documented cases, so it’s probably best to avoid these types of supplements.
I recommend not to overindulge because this can lead to nausea, stomach pain, headaches, and others that we don’t want to affect our bodies.
Caution: African Bird Pepper is very spicy! If new to it, start with small amounts and gradually increase.
