Health Sensei 101

Latest Post

When I began writing this article for this site about cayenne pepper, I thought I'd have just a few stories to tell but I was wrong.

Since I created this site, I've been emailed by many people around the world touting Capsicum and sharing their stories about its usage.

This has been very gratifying for there is no better way to spread the word about something than word of mouth.

Let me share just a few stories that I've come across in my research of Capsicum.

There are many stories from 19th century America but there are just as many now. I'll try to include a cross section of as many eras as possible.

By the way, some may ask, "Isn't this 'incredible stories about cayenne pepper' webpage redundant considering there is already a cayenne pepper testimonials page on this website?" The answer is no.

There is a difference. The testimonials page is a compilation of actual testimonials of people who have granted their permission for me to publish their stories.

This page's purpose conversely is to highlight some really incredible historical stories about Capsicum from people I have had no contact with. A slight difference to be sure but a tangible one.

Also, why am I writing this article? Because I'm hoping you will be persuaded to at least give Capsicum a try. Add it to your health regiment and watch what happens.

My Story


I didn't start off having a lot of faith in doctors. I've been studying cayenne and medicinal herbs for over 25 years due to that. Growing up, my mother was always sick and our medicine cabinet at home looked like a pharmacy. When I was 7 1/2, I stepped on a nail by my friend's house and had to go to the doctor for a tetanous shot.

I still remember the piercing pain as he stuck the needle deep into the wound. I let out a howl heard three states away.

Actually, my distrust started even earlier toward doctors. When I was five, our family doctor's name was, and I kid you not, Dr. Bloody! Not the most auspicious name for a doctor! I still remember the shots he gave me and his cold, unfeeling manner. How I hated going to the doctor!

Needless to say, not all doctors are bad. I know that. Most are good, decent people. Their problem as a collective group is that they are close minded regarding alternative medicine, herbs included. Anyway, in July 2008, I had some pictures taken of me with my shirt off by a friend so as to motivate me to start exercising again.

I weighed 188 pounds. I was carrying at least 25 pounds more than my somatic frame needed. I was disgusted and began a regime of long-distance running twice a week. When I started, my cholesterol was 215, and my systolic and diastolic was 125/85 or so. My resting pulse was 72. Not bad but not great.

It was hard at first but I kept at it. In eight months, without really watching my diet closely, I dropped 20 pounds and my blood pressure went to 118 to 120 systolic to 80 to 76 diastolic. My resting pulse went down to 54 and was as low as 50 occasionally. I've taken Capsicum periodically throughout my life but a while back, I decided I needed to put my money where my mouth was and to take Capsicum daily or at least three times a week.

While I've known about Capsicum for years, I've never enjoyed drinking it. Of course, I didn't start out the right way back 20 years ago. I started by taking a full teaspoon at a time! That was ill advised. When I scaled it back, things went much better.cayenne pepper bowl

Last month, I checked my blood pressure and it was 107/70 with a resting pulse of 48. My cholesterol dropped to 175 too. I just checked it literally a minute ago on my LifeSource digital blood pressure monitor and it is 105/71 with a resting pulse of 49. (I recommend the LifeSource blood pressure monitor. It works great and it's convenient, too. And it's cheaper than a doctor's visit so it pays for itself.)

The only change I made was taking cayenne either daily or bi-daily. It cleared up a hemorrhoid problem I had, too. It's not pleasant to talk about the scatological, but folks, cayenne pepper works. It literally cured the swollen hemorroids, removing the itchiness and the bleeding in only two days! I'm not exaggerating.

Everything went back to normal "down under." I have improved my diet as well since then but the cayenne cured the problem worked in only two days.

It's not pleasant to drink, I know, but it works. In my opinion, it's a small price to pay for so many magnificient health benefits.

Sidebar: If you're interested, I've since added a bodybuilding or weight training regime to my cardiovascular workouts and have continued supplementing with Capsicum as well as high-grade quality multivitamins that you can read about over here, and other superfood supplements like green drinks discussed over at this page, bee pollen detailed here, etc.

Another Cayenne Pepper Story

Capsicum Heals Frostbite Flesh
This story comes from 19th century Utah as reported in a Spring 2006 article in Currents, a quarterly publication of the Utah Division of State History (a relative sent it to me). The article is titled, The Split Frog Cure & Other Curiosities of Pioneer Medicine.

A person by the name of Priddy Meeks was an herbalist doctor in the Thompson tradition who left lengthy autobiography and journal entries regarding the marvelous curative power of plants and other herbs. Dr. Meeks, the articles says, swore by lobelia and Capsicum as "miracle herbs."

Let me recount the story as written by Priddy Meeks.


There was a teamster with Colonel Johnston's army by the name of James McCann, a young man, started to go back to the states by way of California. He reached Parowan, Utah with both feet frozen above his ankles. He was left with me to have both feet amputated as it was thought there was no possible chance to save his life without amputation. I was at my wit's end to know what to do. I saw no possible chance for amputation. An impulse seemed to strike my mind as though by inspiration that I would give him cayenne pepper inwardly and see what effect that would have on the frozen feet. I commenced by giving him rather small doses at first, about three times a day. It increased the warmth and power of action in the blood to such a degree that it gave him such pain and misery in his legs that he could not bear it.

He lay down on his back and elevated his feet up against the wall for three or four days and then he could sit up in a chair. The frozen flesh would rot and rope down from his foot when it would be on his knee, clear down to the floor, just like a buckwheat batter, and the new flesh would get out of the way. In fact, the new flesh would seem to crowd the dead flesh out of the way to make room for the new flesh. That was all the medical treatment he had and to my astonishment and to every one else that knew of the circumstances, the sixteenth day after I gave him the first dose of cayenne pepper he walked nine miles, or from Parowan to Red creek and back, and said that he could have walked as far again. He lost but five toe nails all told. Now the healing power of nature is in the blood and to accelerate the blood is to accelerate the healing power of nature and I am convinced that there is nothing will do this like cayenne pepper; you will find it applicable in all cases of sickness.

(The sources of this article are the Utah Historical Quarterly, A History of Kane County, and Heart Throbs of the West, vol. 7 as published in Currents, Spring of 2006.)

Quite amazing, isn't it?

Cayenne Pepper Cured a Man's Hemorrhoids
I had a gentlemen email me recently telling me how Capsicum cured his hemorrhoids and a stomach ulcer. He'd had especially virulent hemorrhoids and within a week, they were gone. His stomach ulcer went away too.

Capsicum Helped Relieve Migraine Headache Suffer
While touting the health benefits of Capsicum to a relative, my relative asked me if Capsicum would work for her migraines (this was before I discovered an herbal cure for migraines). I said Capsicum immediately equalizes the blood pressure in the system when drank and as blood pressure was a part, not the only thing, but a part of migraine problems, it couldn't hurt to try. She reported that Capsicum took her migraines away quite consistently and significantly diminished their severity when she did get them.


Dr. John R. Christopher Cayenne Story
When a young man in his thirties, Dr. John R. Christopher was told by doctors he would not live past his fortieth year as he had severe arthritis, stomach ulcers, and hardening of the arteries. Plus, a few  cayenne pepper benefitscar accidents had damaged him badly. He started using cayenne pepper and actually worked up to a teaspoon taken three times a day! (And I thought I was cool taking it once daily!) Just a few short years later, when he was forty-five years old, he was in a business with a group that wanted him to have a $100,000 insurance policy due to his involvement and importance with a particular business deal he was involved in at the time.


Capsicum Lowers Blood Pressure
While getting a physical, Dr. Christopher had a doctor tell him he had the venous structure of a teenage boy while at the age of forty-five years young. The doctor kept repeating the blood pressure check over and over again as he couldn't believe it. Dr. Christopher began to be perturbed, and asked him if the equipment was broken. The doctor told him his systolic over your diastolic was absolutely perfect. The doctor exclaimed, "I cannot comprehend it.” Dr. Christopher told him it was because of his constant usage of wonderful herb Capsicum and a healthy, mucus-free diet.


Interesting Capsicum Research Study

Many years ago, there was an experiment conducted on Capsicum that was printed in various medical journals. Medical researchers put some live heart tissue in a beaker filled with distilled water. (Whether it was human or non-human heart tissue I do not know.) They fed it only Capsicum.

They were required to clean off sediments that would build up, or waste, but that was all. They did periodically replace the distilled water as well. As the experiment progressed, they were obligated to trim the heart tissue of its extra growth as it would grow so quickly. This experiment was continued for 15 years.

The doctor who originated the experiment died and his associate researchers were obligated to continue the experiment, which they did for two more years before ending the experiment and destroying the heart tissue. This experiment validates what medicinal herbalists have been saying for years that Capsicum is incredibly nourishing to the heart.

Dr. Christopher's Introduction to Cayenne


One thing that is interesting and it may be to you too is that Dr. Christopher himself needed to be converted to the virtues of Capsicum. When he was attending the Herbal College in Canada, which I believe is now defunct, the professor said that the class was now going to study Capsicum. “Why cayenne pepper?” asked Dr. Christopher. “It will burn the lining out of the stomach.”

The teacher, one Dr. Nowell, asked nonplussed, “Where did you get your information?” “My mother told me,” answered Dr. Christopher.

Everybody laughed. Dr. Nowell and John Christopher didn't. According to Dr. Christopher's own record, Dr. Nowell took him around Vancouver introducing him to over a dozen people whose lives had been saved with the wonderful herb known as Capsicum. He met people with heart troubles, asthma, ulcers, and many other ailments that Capsicum had cured. Wherever they went, numerous people were full of gratitude for being helped and taught about Capsicum. From that point forward to the end of his life in Feb. 1983, Dr. Christopher was sold on this nondescript herb and took it thrice daily.

Capsicum Saves a Boy Shot In The Stomach
The story goes that a child was shot in the abdomen with the bullet hitting the spine, and made a second wound leaving the body. One of Dr. Christopher's herbal students was living next door to the child and heard the shot. Neither parent was home and that the children, ages eight and four, would not be shooting guns.

What she say next horrified her. She saw the eight-year-old gushing blood out of the entry and exit wounds. She hastily retrieved Capsicum and mixed a hefty tablespoonful in a glass of water. The poured it down the boy's throat then called for an ambulance. The emergency room attendant told the student that the young boy would most likely bleed to death, as the ambulance was 18 miles or so away.cayenne

The ambulance arrived and rushed the child to the hospital. When he arrived, everyone was astonished as the bleeding had stopped and he was talking and was coherent. In fact, the bleeding had stopped before the ambulance arrived at the hospital.

The emergeycy doctor told the boy's parents the following, “I have seen many accident victims in my life, but this is the first time in such an emergency operation that I have opened an abdomen to find no blood, except for a small amount that was there before the bleeding stopped so quickly. This has saved your boy's life.”

According to his writings, in that same year, Dr. Christopher treated four other gunshot victims. What happens is that while each case responded was essentially the same, occasionally the blood will coagulate and come out in clumps before it will completely stop.

According to the late Dr. Christopher, "By the time you count to ten, the heavy bleeding should stop completely after administering Capsicum." He would use a tincture on the open wounds as well.

Cayenne Pepper Heals Ulcers
The next Christopher story may be the best ulcer story you've ever heard. For years, a certain lady had been interested in Dr. Christopher's ideas on herbal medicine. This woman, while a believer in alternative medicine, had a husband who was not only anti-herbal medicine but would actually mock it Dr. Christopher to his face. Whenever he saw Dr. Christopher on the street, he would ask him sarcastically if he had killed anybody with his treatments. Dr. Christopher avoided him and would go on his way. This persecutor suffered from a severe case of stomach ulcers that the doctors couldn't do anything about. In fact, this man's doctor recommended removing part of the man's stomach, but he refused.

According to the man himself, he came home from work one night so ill and in so much pain from his stomach ulcers that he felt he couldn't take it anymore and wanted to die. As his wife was not home, he decided to commit suicide due to the pain.

He thought an overdose of pills would do the job but upon looking in the bathroom medicine cabinet he found no pills as his wife had cleaned it out of all the drugs and replaced it with bottles of various herbs and a container of Capsicum.

cayenne pepperAs he totally discounted Capsicum, and any medicinal herb for that matter, he thought Capsicum was so hot that a large enough dose would kill him. He took a massive, heaping tablespoon of Capsicum in a glass of hot water, drank it and went into the bedroom and laid on the bed with a pillow over his head so his neighbors couldn't hear him scream and thus stop his suicide attempt.

What happened next? Well, he fell asleep and the next thing he knew, his wife was shaking him to wake up the next morning. He had slept through the night -- the first time in years -- and the stomach pain was gone. As he became "converted" to Capsicum, he took it religiously three times a day and never had any more stomach ulcers. He approached Dr. Christopher on the street one day not to mock him as before but to this time thank him for telling his wife about the wonderful herb known as Capsicum.

This man used to have to wake up numerous times in the morning taking anti-acid pills as his ulcers were so bad. For years he never had a full night's sleep due to this regime. Once he started using Capsicum, he could sleep normally again. I wonder what his doctor felt after losing him as a patient!


Cayenne Pepper Stops Heart Attacks
Probably the greatest claim to fame that Capsicum has is its ability to immediately arrest a heart attack. This is quite an incredible claim, I know. One night, Dr. C. received a call from a patient of his. This woman's husband had fainted from a heart attack. Dr. C. told her get some warm water and mix a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in the water, which she did. The woman propped up her husband and gave him a little. Upon being revived, he finished the cup of the Capsicum tea and within minutes was revived. He too became converted to herbs and even eventually ran a health food store.

Cayenne Great for Wounds and Cuts
Capsicum is great for emergency situations as this following story will also attest. A young man had cut his hand and fingers very badly. The cuts were so deep that the blood was literally spurting out. The boy put a large quantity of Capsicum into the wound and within seconds the bleeding slowed, then congealed and then stopped. (I've seen this in action myself when I cut myself with a knife in the kitchen.) Later, while at a lecture with Dr. C., he unwrapped the bandage to show the audience the scar, but there was none. The cut had been completely healed.

Blood Pressure Problems? Capsicum to The Rescue
Are you over 40 or 50 or 60 or 70 and want to lower your blood pressure? Take Capsicum. At the age of 75, Dr. Christopher had his blood pressure checked in front of a large audience by a traditionally trained medical doctor. His systolic and diastolic was that of a young man. Capsicum wasn't the only reason as Dr. C. followed a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and grains, but Capsicum was his staple. My blood pressure has significantly lowered too since regularly taking capsicum so I believe this story.

Cayenne Pepper Helps a Man's Heart Palpitations and Arrythmia
One gentlemen wrote that he's been using capsicum pepper for several months for his heart arrythmia. He testifies that his heart rate goes back to normal in literally less than a minute. He says he uses a 1/2 teaspoon in warm water, and drinks less than a cup. (He's a brave soul!) Furthermore, he says he's tried many traditional cures and all natural cures, but never has had one work so quickly and so well. He also says, "The Phamaceutical companies will probably try to get this miracle cure declared illegal!" He's right, I'm sad to say. Pharmaceutical drug companies stand to lose literally billiions of dollars if people knew about cayenne.cayenne pepper

Cayenne Pepper Helps Man With Athlete's Foot
A man wrote me complaining about his athlete's foot and related the story of how a couple of years ago he was persuaded by a family friend to try Capsicum. He thought it absurd but as everything else he had tried didn't work, he decided to give it a try. He put Capsicum in a little bit of salt water and immersed a gauze pad in it and taped it to his toe regions where the athlete's foot was. It cured it and the athlete's foot hasn't returned, he said. He's now a believer in Capsicum and says he takes a couple capsules a day (he won't drink it, though!).


Cayenne Pepper & Candida Story

A lady from Bozeman, Montana emailed me to tell me about how cayenne took away her candida problem. Candida is quite common and she mentioned she tried everything. She did a Web search a few years ago and read something on the marvelous properties of cayenne. Then, she said, a couple of days later, her uncle called her and recommended cayenne pepper as it had helped cure and mitigate an ulcer he had developed. "That was a coincidence, I thought, and to me that was confirmation from something that I was on the right track." She started taking cayenne and it cleared it up. She also started a colon cleanse and has since done a kidney cleanse too.

Cayenne Pepper and Weight Loss
About five months ago, a man from Naperville, Illinois emailed me telling me he had read an article about Capsicum while on his business trip to Atlanta, Georgia. The article said Capsicum would help with improving energy and weight loss. He was intrigued. He started taking a few capsules at a time and says he has more energy than before he takes it and that it has had an equalizing effect on his whole system. He's still using it and combined with aerobic exercise has lost about 15 pounds (the aerobic exercise has a lot to do with that, not just cayenne).

Capsicum Great for Sore Throats
Joakim from White Plains, New York wrote me telling me how he gargles with Capsicum when he get's a sore throat or feels the flu coming on. He says it cleans out the bad bacteria and leaves him feeling better and free of the whooping cough. He even has his young children doing it when they get "the sniffles." He has also tried Capsicum on the wounds, cuts and bruises his kids get and when he puts it on the kids cuts, he says they don't complain but tell him, "the red stuff makes it feel warm and it doesn't hurt Daddy."

Capsicum and Circulation
capsicumI had a gentlemen email me from northern California a few months back. He has had severe circulation problems and upon taking Capsicum he said his extremities now have normal circulation and are naturally warm. He did this, by the way, with normal grocery store-bought Capsicum powder. I don't recommend store-bought Capsicum as it's most likely irradiated. Get organic Capsicum -- if you decide to try it that is.

Cayenne Stops a Heart Attack After a Taxing Run in Hot Weather
During the summer month of July 2010, I personally (the author or webmaster of this site), finished a grueling five-mile run in 95 to 98 degree heat. I like the challenge of running in high heat as it really makes one perspire and "toughens" me up. I now think better of that. When I finished my run, I had slight pain in my left arm and some light tightness in my upper chest area that was distinct and noticeable. 

My skin was flushed, too. I immediately noticed the signs of an imminent heart attack, which was undoubtedly brought on by the taxing running in such hot weather. While I never take Capsicum after a workout, I took a small teaspoon of 90,000 SHU Capsicum and drank it in warm water. While I continued to perspire due to Capsicum's natural thermogenic properties, the slight pain in my upper chest area and in my left arm dissipated in about three to five minutes. 


Plus, surprisingly, there was no nausea that I normally would've felt taking Capsicum so soon after a taxing cardiovascular workout. I then took a cold shower and stood under the shower head for around 10 to 15 minutes just letting my body cool off. That did the trick and I felt 100 percent better and the pain had utterly vanished. 


I felt refreshed too. Later that day, I called a relative who used to be a nurse and told her what happened. She told me it sounded like I had the beginnings of heat stroke and a mild heart attack and chastised me for being so dumb as to run in such hot weather. She also informed me that many people have died of heart attacks by running in such hot temperatures. I learned my lesson and now run in much milder temperatures. She's a believer as well in cayenne and has experienced its benefits firsthand, and told me how fortunate I was to have the knowledge to stop a potential upcoming heart attack by using Capsicum.

Hope you found these stories interesting. There will be more to come.

In clinical studies conducted in Japan, England and the United States, capsaicin, the critical secondary metabolite compound found in cayenne pepper (and other hot peppers), has been shown to cause cancer cells to undergo "apoptosis" a form of celllular self-termination or suicide, if you will.

This is ground-breaking information and I'll bet you've not heard about it. Still, what does this mean in practical terms?

Think of it: Cayenne pepper and other hot peppers with capsaicin have been proven in medical studies to kill leukemic, lung, pancretic and prostate cancer cells! This is important for people to know!

One study, as conducted by the American Association for Cancer Research, reports capsaicin is able to kill prostate cancer cells by forcing them to undergo "apoptosis" or self-termination without harming any health cells around them.

The study says capsaicin, "...has a profound antiproliferative effect on prostate cancer cells, inducing the apoptosis of both androgen receptor-positive and negative prostate cancer cell lines..."

Furthermore, the study also says, "In summary, our data suggests that capsaicin, or a related analogue, may have a role in the management of prostate cancer."

For your convenience, I've converted the study into a PDF file. You can download it by right-clicking on the preceding link and other links on this page, and selecting File Save As or Save Link As. You will need Adobe Reader, which you can get for free at Adobe.com/reader.

But wait there's more. According to Jon Christensen who wrote an article as published in the New York Times, "Apoptosis plays a crucial role in developing and maintaining healthy organisms by eliminating unnecessary, old, and unhealthy cells. In contrast to the more familiar and messy death known as necrosis, which is caused by an injury or attack that results in thehemorrhaging of cells and inflammation, apoptosis is a neat way to eliminate cells without leaving any evidence behind" (Source: Christensen, Jon. (December 12, 2005). Retrieved from The New York Times. Scientist at work: John Reed; running hot in pursuit of cancer treatment).

How Can Cayenne Pepper Kill Cancer Cells?

The studies say capsaicin is the agent that is shown to kill cancer cells. What is capsaicin? Capsaicin is the key component of peppers of the Capsicum genus of the Solanaceae family of which cayenne pepper is a member.

It is a chemical compound that stimulates the chemoreceptor nerve endings and in your mucous membranes. Furthermore, capsaicin is a compound that is among the group of capsaicinoids and are produced as a secondary metabolite by chili peppers.

It’s the capsaicin that makes cayenne pepper hot, and it's the capsaicin that causes mucus membranes to react.cayenne lemon garlic

Continuing, as reported by the BBC, another study conducted at the University of Nottingham in England strongly suggests that it is the compound capsaicin that is able to trigger apoptosis in lung- and pancreatic-cancer cells.

There have also been several clinical studies conducted in Japan and China that showed natural capsaicin directly inhibits the growth of leukemic cells as well.

So does this mean a new cancer drug is right around the corner? No and I personally doubt there ever will be.

You see Big Pharma and cancer research institutes (and government) learned long ago what good poker players know: you can shear a sheep many times but you can kill it only once.

The War on Cancer, as declared by U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1971, is a perfect example of that. You see, that war was always meant to be a war much like the war in Vietnam or in Iraq: It is a war that is never meant to be won, it is a war that is meant to be sustained.

For you see, by prolonging those wars in Iraq and Vietnam, greater profits are made for the Military Industrial Establishment and Big Oil. So it is with Big Pharma and the government for there are large tax revenues and research funds in the billions to be derived therewith.

In the article produced by the BBC, Josephine Querido, Cancer Information Officer at the Cancer Research UK commented that, "This research does not suggest that eating vast quantities of chilli pepper will help prevent or treat cancer. The experiments showed that pepper extracts killed cancer cells grown in the laboratory, but these have not yet been tested to see if they are safe and effective in humans."

Huh!!!?? "...not tested to see if they are safe and effective in humans"? Please!!! Numerous human beings consume hot chili peppers, cayenne pepper and other high-capsaicin foods on a daily basis throughout the world and have for centuries.

They're perfectly safe. (Of course, use moderation when ingesting peppers. They're safe but ingestion of too many can cause vomiting. Moderation in all things is wisdom.)

My friend, you'll never see a cancer-curing pill for it would be an end to billions of dollars earmarked for cancer research. Not to mention the fact that such progress would end the billions, or near billions, gleaned from the "treatment" of cancer.

Comedian Bill Maher was right: The pharmaceutical companies (and other black-hearted cabal members) realized long ago that there is more money made in disease than in actually curing people.

And yet now, western medicine has proven in an astonishing moment of honesty that capsaicin, the compound in cayenne pepper and other peppers, actually kills cancer cells. That's amazing! The next thing you know, the US government will actually balance a budget, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

The medical establishment in this country knows their approach doesn't work and in a moment of honesty testified as much in one study saying, "Current approaches to combat cancer rely primarily on the use of chemicals and radiation, which are themselves carcinogenic and may promote recurrences and the development of metastatic disease."

What's the source of that quote? It comes from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services itself. The report is, "Compositions and Methods for Treating and Preventing Pathologies Including Cancer" (Samid, 1997, p. 56).

SIDEBAR:

Are there any foods that can cause cancer to go in remission? Yes. Vegetables -- especially green vegetables. Vegetables? Yes, good ol' vegetables that your mother said were good for you.

Here's one interesting and documentable anecdote you may find interesting.

As reported in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle on October 21, 2004, Rudy Tomjanovich, the two-time NBA championship winning basketball coach of the Houston Rockets, was able to reverse his bladder cancer by going on a vegetable-only diet for two months.

The article says, "Two years ago, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer...He ate only raw vegetables for two months, dropped nearly 30 pounds and had trouble filling out his clothes. 'Absolutely, rebirth is the right word,' said Tomjanovich, who was pronounced cancer-free last October" (para. 6).

Tomjanovich's story is not unique. There are many who have reversed cancer through high-fiber, vegetable, fruit and grain diets, including Dr. Lorraine Day, a traditionally trained western doctor who beat breast cancer.

Conclusion

We now know that cayenne pepper, or any other highly-concentrated capsaicin food, and green vegetables go a long way in reversing cancer. (Medicinal herbalists have also asserted that the herb chaparral is effective in helping to mitigate cancer, but that's a story for another day, I suppose.)

The health benefits of cayenne pepper just keep getting better and better. It is a proven aid to reversing heart disease, the number one killer in America, but it also has a myriad number of other medicinal uses as well. And now, western medical science has shown in several rigorous studies that it also kills cancer cells.

So, think about adding it to your health regime. I drink a warm glass of three to four ounces of water with a 1/4 of a teaspoon to a full teaspoon almost daily. If that is too extreme for you, start taking just one capsule of it per day.

(Of course, check with your doctor first.) It's a small price to pay for your health.

If you have a vagina, you've probably spent a decent amount of time wondering if what's coming out of it is normal. But bringing up your vaginal discharge and asking your friends if theirs looks and smells the same isn't typically accepted happy hour chitchat.

Concern about discharge is "the number one reason why women go to the gyno," Michael Cackovic, M.D., an ob/gyn at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. When you're concerned about unexplained changes in your body, it's always a smart idea to check in with your doctor to find out what's up. But when it comes to discharge, what's "normal" varies greatly, depending on all sorts of things—even your stress levels or the foods you eat.

So how do you know if your discharge is a sign something's off kilter? Here, Cackovic explains what typical discharge should look like, and what colors, smells, and textures should raise a red flag.

What does normal discharge look like?
"Normal is about a teaspoon every 24 hours," Cackovic says. "It can be white, transparent, thick, thin, mostly odorless, but there may be a slight odor," he adds. A faint odor is simply from the cells of the cervix and vagina that have sloughed off and are being dispelled. Discharge can also turn slightly yellow when it interacts with the air, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

But what's normal can change quite a bit depending on an array of different things. "Pregnancy, use of contraceptive pills, even things like sexual activity and your diet can affect different characteristics of discharge," Cackovic says. Discharge can look different at various points in your mesntrual cycle, too, thanks to different hormonal changes during ovulation. Which is why women who use the rhythm method, or natural family planning, monitor their discharge closely, among other things. Even stress can alter how much discharge you have.

For women who are menopausal or post menopausal, it's not uncommon to have more or less discharge than normal because of the changes in estrogen levels.

How can I know when something's wrong?
The vagina is a carefully balanced ecosystem, with between 10 and 20 types of bacteria that live in perfect harmony. "The environment is maintained to be slightly acidic by the majority of bacteria, lactobacillus," Cackovic explains. "Anything that changes that, even wearing a wet bathing suit, or just being sweaty and wet down there," can throw off the natural balance. For some women, seemingly innocent things like changing your laundry detergent or using new bath products that change the pH of your vagina can be enough to cause an infection.

When the delicate balance gets thrown off, one type of bacteria or yeast has the opportunity to overgrow, or a foreign bacteria introduced into the mix multiplies, and you end up with a really uncomfortable infection, which can lead to changes in discharge. Small changes in discharge quantity, color, and even smell, can be completely benign, but any drastic difference, or if it's coupled with itching, pain, burning, or bleeding (which can make discharge look brown), is a sign something's not right—and you should get in to see your gyno ASAP.

Bacterial vaginosis, an overgrowth of native bacteria in the vagina, typically turns discharge gray and fishy smelling. The STIs chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis can also affect discharge. These infections tend to make it smelly and a yellow-green color. This can be one of the early signs of infection—the itching and burning typically won’t start until after the infection gets bad, Cackovic says.

A yeast infection, caused by an overgrowth of a type of yeast called candida that naturally lives in your vagina, can produce thick discharge that resembles cottage cheese. Yeast infections commonly occur when the vagina is extra moist, from things like sweat or sitting all day in a wet bathing suit. "It basically changes the environment and makes it more susceptible to yeast," Cackovic explains, so the yeast that normally lives there over populates.

If you have signs of an infection, refrain from self-treating, and go visit your gyno.
Cackovic cautions against self-diagnosing and running to CVS to treat your symptoms. If you're treating the wrong thing, it will throw things even more out of whack and create a vicious cycle of infection.

After determining what's causing the funky discharge and irritation, your doctor can direct you toward the right treatment, whether it's a pill or cream. If your infection is caused by bacteria, Cackovic notes that you should expect to be symptom-free about 72 hours after being on antibiotics. If it's caused by a fungus (yeast is a fungus) the typical course of treatment is using an anti-fungal medicated cream for three to five days.

"You definitely should see your doctor if there’s a change [in discharge] and you want to make sure," he says. "If something's really going on, it requires a doctor who can take a look and come up with a plan." The last thing you want is to suffer through an itchy, painful infection longer than necessary.

This article originally appeared in Glamour.

Given that your diet affects pretty much everything from your menstrual cycle to your mood, it's no surprise that it can affect how things are going in your nether regions.

Here are a few tips from experts to keep everything down there working as it should.

1. Eat plenty of prebiotics and probiotics.
According to Jennie Ann Freiman, M.D., your vagina, like your gut, requires healthy bacteria to fight infections and maintain a normal pH. The bacteria in the gut, in turn, affects those in the vagina. To improve your gut health and your vaginal health, she advises eating prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, and raw leeks and probiotic foods like yogurt, kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kombucha tea. According to Brian A. Levine, M.D., consuming probiotics has actually been shown to help women with vaginitis—chronic vaginal discomfort that can lead to pain during sex. Prebiotic and probiotic supplements aren't great substitutes for these foods, Freiman says: "Lab formulations don't beat Mother Nature."

2. Enjoy nuts and other healthy fats.
Healthy fats like those found in nuts, olive oil, and avocados regulate your cholesterol, keeping your estrogen levels in balance, which in turn creates a healthy mucosal lining that can help ward off infection. Almonds and other types of nuts are especially good, says Levine, because they contain B vitamins and calcium that prevent vaginitis.

3. Avoid processed foods.
While prebiotic and probiotic foods add helpful bacteria to the gut and vagina, Freiman says processed foods depress your immune system, which can allow harmful bacteria to take over. This can lead to all sorts of problems down there, including bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, dryness, pain during sex, and urinary tract infections.

4. Go easy on the sugar.
According to Burt Webb, M.D., too much sugar can damage or kill the important vaginal bacteria Lactobacilli, which can lead to yeast infections, soreness, and irritation—three things you really don't want to deal with.

5. Try to avoid artificial hormones.
Certain meats and dairy products contain xenoestrogens—artificial hormones that imitate estrogen. According to Webb, these can block estrogen from the vagina, preventing the mucosal lining from forming which again, can leave you open to infection.

6. Stay hydrated.
"The vagina is just like the inside of the mouth—when a woman is thirsty and parched, her vagina probably is too," says Levine. Hydration can also help prevent any unusual odors from surfacing down there, says Octavia Cannon, D.O.—just one more reason to gulp down more water every day.


Ob/gyns map out your best course of action—because they see this ALL THE TIME.

Like any hostess worth her salt, your vagina is usually happy to accommodate visitors...as long as they don't overstay their welcome. But sometimes things get lodged inside the vaginal canal and are so hard to retrieve, it seems like you'll need the gynecological version of the jaws of life to make things right. It's like your vagina's taunting you, saying, "You want this thing out? You'll have to pry it from my warm, wet walls lol good luck." Fortunately, if you do lose control of a tampon or wayward condom, there are a few actions you can take to make it easier to remove. And if it comes to it, a medical practitioner can also lend a hand. Either way, rest easy: You won't have to walk around with this random thing inside of you for the rest of your days.

The most common objects people get stuck in their vaginas are...

...tampons and birth control methods like condoms, diaphragms, and sponges, Alyssa Dweck, M.D., assistant clinical professor of obstetrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and co-author of V Is For Vagina, tells SELF. The NuvaRing, another form of contraception, and estrogen-providing rings women can use after menopause to relieve issues like vaginal dryness, can also get caught up there, Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale Medical School, tells SELF. "I actually had one woman who came in with three [estrogen] rings because she forgot she hadn't taken out the previous ones. That's my personal best," says Minkin.

And the typical rescue signal is an olfactory one.
While you'll probably immediately notice that something like a condom or diaphragm has gone MIA, it might take more time to realize a tampon has disappeared into the vaginal ether. Sometimes people simply forget they have one in, or even accidentally put a fresh tampon in on top of an old one. The main tip-off that a tampon's still hanging around? A persistent odor, says Minkin.

You don't need to worry about a tampon, condom, or other object somehow wandering up through the rest of your body.

Your vagina isn't an open-ended tube—your cervix is there to make sure things like harmful bacteria and, yes, tampons, condoms, and the like, can't just travel around willy-nilly. Yes, it opens, like to allow a baby to pass through, but it does a heck of a job preventing things from going the other way. "Something like a condom or tampon is too big to go anywhere besides the vagina," says Dweck. That said, it's still in your best interest to get the object out posthaste, especially if it's a tampon. "Pulling [an old tampon] out is usually treatment enough in and of itself, however with a tampon that’s retained, there's always a slim chance of toxic shock syndrome," says Dweck. It's very rare, with only 26 U.S. women reporting cases of TSS in 2015, but still worth being cautious about.

In terms of actually getting whatever it is out, you have a few options.
"You can do something relaxing like take a warm shower or bath, insert your index finger into the vagina, gently brush around until you feel the foreign body, then try to scoop it out," says Dweck. Putting some lubricant on your finger might make this easier, she adds. As you feel around, it might help to get into a squatting position and bear down like you're trying to push it out, says Minkin.

Or you can take your efforts outside of the shower. "Another option, if you have a cooperative partner, is to put your heels up like you're in a pelvic exam and they can feel around inside your vagina to see if they can grasp this thing," says Minkin. (This article would be remiss without mentioning the iconic Sex and the City scene in which Samantha proved she was a true ride or die friend by fishing around for Carrie's stuck diaphragm.)

If the culprit is a condom and you're able to get it out on your own, breathe a sigh of relief. Then, if you're not on the Pill (or if you are but you don't use it perfectly), get your hands on some form of emergency contraception, says Dweck. If you don't have access to something like the morning after pill but you do have birth control pills, depending on the brand you can use those as emergency contraception instead. And if you don't know the STI status of the person you were having sex with, Dweck suggests making an appointment with an ob/gyn or other healthcare provider to get STI tests and potentially treatment for infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea, just in case.

Be prepared to call in a professional.
If you can't get the stuck object out on your own, that's normal. Sometimes these things are tough to reach because they're wedged up in the vaginal fornix, which Minkin describes as "little corners behind where the cervix dips down into the vagina." Know that there is zero shame in seeing a doctor about this. "People get really sheepish, but I guarantee you're not the only person I'm going to see this month for this. We see it all the time," says Minkin. And removal is pretty simple—your ob/gyn or nurse practitioner will insert a speculum, then use what basically amounts to a long set of tweezers to pull out whatever's refusing to budge. Problem solved.

David Pinzer / Getty
Vaginas are pretty amazing when you think about it. They shuttle new life into the world and bring us pleasure during sex. And unlike those dirty dishes sitting in your sink, they can even clean themselves. But because vaginas are so hard to see, they're often shrouded in mystery—and while that might be a great quality in a sexy stranger you meet on vacation, that's not necessarily something to shoot for with a body part.

Being in the dark about your vagina makes it easier to fall pray to marketing that says it should smell a certain way, like a fragrant country garden. It can also mean you may not be taking care of this precious part the way you should.

So we asked Leah Millheiser, M.D., an ob/gyn and director of the Female Sexual Medicine Center at Stanford Health Care, to clear up some of the most pervasive myths surrounding vaginas and drop some knowledge.

Myth #1: You can lose a tampon in there.
Many women still don't realize it's like a cul-de-sac, with your cervix stopping anything from free-falling into your uterus. "The vagina is a closed space," Millheiser tells SELF. "A tampon isn't going to get lost in a black hole. The reason people may think it can get lost is because there are hills and valleys of tissue in the vagina," she says. "So a tampon may be hidden in the folds of tissue." If you've inserted a tampon and can't grasp the string or the tampon itself to get it out, head to your gyno right away. He or she can insert a speculum to make it easier to see—and quickly retrieve—the wayward tampon.


Myth #2: Your vagina shouldn't have a smell.
If you believe advertisers and women who like to run through fields in slow motion, all females should smell fresh as a daisy down below. But being completely odorless isn't the norm for most women. "Every woman has her own personal scent," notes Millheiser. "Some women say, 'I never notice an odor,' but others say they constantly have some odor, such as a musty smell. That's your body type, just as some have more body odor than others. Also, if you're sweating, it's going to smell more." That said, if there's been a significant change in your vaginal scent, consider that a red flag. Vaginal odor that has a fishy smell, especially if it gets worse right after your period or after sex, can be a sign of bacterial vaginosis, which is the most common vaginal infection in women ages 15 to 44, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your gyno can diagnose you and prescribe antibiotics to clear up the infection.


Myth #3: Having discharge means there's a problem down south.
"I wish I had a dollar for every time a patient said, 'I have discharge. There must be something wrong,'" says Millheiser. Discharge is perfectly normal and is your vagina's way of staying clean. "Discharge is the shedding of the cells of the vagina," she says. "All woman have it. Some have a tiny bit and don't even notice it on their underwear, while others have a lot and need to change their underwear during the day. Some can have a tablespoon per day and it's normal." What isn't? Discharge that's green, milky grey, frothy, or cottage cheese-like in consistency—all signs that point to a vaginal infection that needs to be evaluated by your doctor.

Myth #4: Douching is a great way to freshen up.
About one in four women ages 15 to 44 years old douche, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If you're one of them, step away from the douche. "The vagina is like a self-cleaning oven," explains Millheiser. "It will take care of itself—no cleaning on your part required." In fact, douching is more harmful than helpful. "If a woman is douching because she wants to get that fresh smell or to gain more confidence before intercourse, she needs to be aware she's setting herself up for infection," she says. Douching throws off the delicate bacteria balance in the vagina and ups the risk of multiple health issues from bacterial vaginosis to pelvic inflammatory disease to ectopic pregnancy. If you're douching because you're trying to get rid of a fishy odor or cottage cheese-like discharge, then you're potentially covering up an existing infection that needs your gyno's attention.

Myth #5: You should wash it with soap.
We hope you already know not to use soap inside your vagina (ouch). But even normal lathering up can be like an assault on your vulva, which is the outer part of your vagina, especially if your soap contains perfume and dyes. "It's a really sensitive place and harsh soaps can cause irritation down there," says Millheiser. Instead, stick with a fragrance-free soap, such as Dove Sensitive Skin bar soap, or else it's perfectly fine and effective to just use plain water to keep things clean.

Myth #6: It can get stretched out like an old accordion.
Yes, there are some cases, such as after multiple vaginal births or after suffering a childbirth injury, in which the vaginal opening can become stretched. But for the most part, childbirth and certainly having sex won't make you "loose." Vaginas are not only designed to open up to accommodate surprisingly large objects, from well-endowed penises to a baby's head, but they're also highly elastic. In other words, they're pros at snapping back into shape.

Myth #7: Your vagina should lubricate on cue.
Not everyone gets wet right before having sex and that's perfectly normal—even if you're in your 20s. Certain medications, such as oral contraceptives, can cause a lack of lubrication, along with hormonal changes that happen during breastfeeding and approaching or going through menopause. But that's not all: A lack of foreplay can also bring on vaginal dryness, along with a lack of novelty that can come with having a long-term partner or just plain being exhausted because you have kids or a demanding job (or both). Being dry as a desert down there is problematic because it makes sex painful instead of pleasurable. The good news is that there's an easy solution: Lubricant. Millheiser recommends using a water-based lube if you only need a small amount to supplement your body's natural lubrication. If you need the works, use a silicon-based lube. "They're amazing, last longer, reduce friction better and are just as safe as water-based lubes," she says. Or you can try natural oils, such as coconut oil. Just note that you can't use latex condoms with natural oils, which may break down the latex.

Myth #8: You can't get skin conditions down there like you do on the rest of your body.
Sadly, private parents aren't protected from some common skin issues. "You can have eczema or psoriasis down there," notes Millheiser. "So if you have chronic irritation and redness on the vulva and you happen to have eczema or psoriasis somewhere else on your body, there's a good chance you'll have it down there, too." See your gyno to rule out other causes like yeast infections first, and if it is genital eczema or psoriasis, your doc can recommend treatment, such as topical steroids, to reduce the itching and irritation.

My boyfriend was more than happy to be my official taste tester.

While there are no valid scientific studies on how to change the taste of your vagina, it certainly doesn't stop people from speculating. The rumors are legion: Does garlic make it taste strange? What about asparagus, probably the most well-known pee odor-changer out there? And does pineapple really sweeten the pot?

Let's get one thing clear: As long as you're healthy, your vagina smells and tastes perfectly fine. It's not supposed to smell like roses or taste like candy. The only time for concern is when it smells "fishy" or otherwise unpleasant, because that can hint at bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, or some other health issue. (See your gynecologist if that happens.) Women should smell like women—maybe a little salty, maybe a little sweet, but always with our own unique, indescribable aroma.


Yet many women fixate on the look, feel, and smell of their private parts. Even comedian Amy Schumer has touched on the topic. On an Inside Amy Schumer segment from April of this year, she did a skit about "Yo-Puss," a magical (fictional) yogurt that "makes your pussy taste like nothing."

Clearly, this is a hot topic, so I decided to get to the bottom of it.
I embarked on a two-week culinary cunnilingus adventure, taking my boyfriend of two and a half months (let's call him John) along for the ride. I loaded up on four foods—and one remarkable tablet, more on that later—rumored to change the vagina's taste and/or smell, then had John go down on me to test each one out. All for the sake of science, of course.(While we’re on the subject, a note on the experiment: No, we didn’t use rigorous scientific methods, and, yes, my boyfriend knew when I’d eaten what foods, so that might have influenced his opinions.)

My quest to determine whether the things you eat can really change your vagina wasn't about vaginas being unacceptable as they are—again, there's no need for healthy women to change the taste or smell down there. It was more about finding out whether there's any truth to all this vaginal hearsay. Here's what I discovered.

In an unexpected result, pineapple made my vagina taste like "nothing."
Courtesy of Carrie Borzillo
Before I conducted my first taste test, I consulted with San Francisco-based gynecologist and author Jen Gunter, M.D., and asked her if there was any reason to believe pineapple would work. "The urban myth is that pineapple can change vaginal odor, but there are no studies to prove this and no science behind it," Gunter tells SELF.

Duly noted. But I ate a pound of pineapple chunks and downed six ounces of pineapple juice anyway to figure it out on my own. I waited two hours, hoping that was enough time for it to get under my skin, then invited my boyfriend over for a little playtime.

As his tongue was furiously doing the ABCs (my favorite oldie-but-goodie technique for clitoral stimulation), I was anxious for results.

"Well, what do I taste like?!" I asked, kind of ruining the mood.

John mumbled something I couldn't decipher.

"Do I taste sweet?"

He came up for air for a second to say, "Uh, no..."

"Does it smell like pineapple? Take a deep breath in! Really get in there and smell it!"


Barking out orders in bed might not be the sexiest way to conduct this experiment, but I was on a mission...and a deadline.


Trooper that he is, John went back down, followed my orders, popped back up, and replied, "You just taste and smell the same?" After more prodding, he said I tasted and smelled like "nothing."


Determined to find a food that would make me taste like something, we moved on to a more flavorful pick.

Garlic was also a bust.
Courtesy of Carrie Borzillo
I had so much hope. Gunter said that garlic-derived metabolites could change the odor of breast milk, so it's likely the same reason some people may feel they smell differently after eating garlic.

John and I headed to a little Italian bistro and asked the waitress to double the garlic on all of our dishes. We could see the garlic chunks on the garlic bread, penne checca (penne pasta, tomato, garlic, and basil), and pan-fried potatoes with garlic and parsley. We could also smell it on our hands right away.


After conducting the pineapple experiment like a dictator, I decided to take a different route and make this taste test more fun. After eating, I gave John a little striptease and decided to taste test him first. He didn't taste like garlic, nor did his semen. Neither did I. We tested it again the next morning with zero change. "You still taste like nothing," he said. "Seriously?" I asked. "Yep, nothing." Next!

Mberry tablets made me taste like "candy, summer, and paradise."
Courtesy of Carrie Borzillo
Since the food taste test wasn't delivering exceptional results at this point, we decided to try these Mberry "miracle fruit tablets" that claim to "transform ordinary foods into the extraordinary." You dissolve one tablet on your tongue and, thanks to a taste-modifying molecule called miraculin, any sour foods you eat suddenly taste sweet.


Before we tried it out on my V, we tried it with a lemon and glass of wine first just to see if it worked. It did! It made the lemon taste like very sugary lemonade, and my dry and oaky cabernet sauvignon turned into a sickeningly sweet fruity dessert wine.

Next on the menu? Vagina! After a 20-minute walk home from the wine bar, John popped another Mberry, let it fully dissolve, and went down on me. Within a few minutes, he stopped what he was doing and said, "This is crazy. You taste like SweeTARTS. It's like candy. It's summery. It's like paradise! Usually after a long walk, you'd taste salty. This is crazy!" **

Doing basically the opposite of Mberry tablets, asparagus apparently made me taste "really green."
Courtesy of Carrie Borzillo
Since asparagus is proven to cause smelly urine, how could it not do the same for your vag? Well, it does. I ate 10 ounces of steamed asparagus with a little cracked pepper and lemon juice, and 20 minutes later, we hit the sheets. Within a minute of investigation, John declared, "You taste very green...very, very green. It's like a mix of asparagus and grass. It's not really pleasant," he said.

Similarly, curry made me "funky."
Courtesy of Carrie Borzillo
Like garlic, curry seems to stick to your skin when you cook or eat it. As I ate about a cup and a half each of mixed vegetable curry and chana saagwala (spinach, garbanzo beans, and curry spices), I found this to be oh so true. But John didn't smell or taste it on my vagina...at least not that night.

When we went for round two the next morning, the curry certainly made my cooch a little fragrant. "It's not good, but it's tolerable. It's a little on the funky side. There's definitely a whiff of curry, and curry isn't really a great smell anyway, and it tastes saltier." He continued: "Salty isn't bad, it's just a stronger smell."

And with that, the experiment was over. While I did learn which foods will and won't change how my vagina tastes, I learned something even better about my relationship.


Sometimes at the beginning of a relationship—especially given that we've only been dating a few months—there are a lot of wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am quickies. That can be hot, but it can also mean you don't take time to fully savor each other. This experiment got to us to go slowly, explore each other with more purpose, and it also taught us to talk about sex. Even if every food had made my vagina taste like "nothing," that would be worth it.


Ultimately, John said, "I really don't care what you smell or taste like anyway." And that's the way it should be, because anyone who has a problem with a vagina's natural smell or taste shouldn't really have access to vaginas. After this experience, I can quite safely say John's not just a trooper, but also a keeper.

MKRdezign

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Powered by Blogger.
Javascript DisablePlease Enable Javascript To See All Widget