Cayanne Pepper?

[magneto]

Hey guys! It just hit me, I know we have been talking about the medicinal qualities of cayenne pepper but I just thought of something cool that can actually be used by it in a survival situation. Cayenne pepper in a pinch can also be used as a seasoning!!! Imagine that!

 

[kgd]

I have to agree with Watchful on this one. The promotion of a single agent as cure-all for widely varying systemic symptoms: circulatory, respiratory, pain management, drowning???? – suggest a large degree of SnakeOil salesman ship.

Sicily02 - thanks for your personal observations on using cayenne to help with cuts.

I took Watchful’s advice and scanned pubmed for scientific literature concerning capsaicin and specifically cayenne. www.Pubmed.com is an online database that allows scanning some 10’s of thousands of scientific and medical journal abstracts using Boolean keyword searches. A couple of interesting abstracts popped up and I copied them below.

One is that cayenne, and many other traditional spices have potent antiobiotic properties. This partly explains the success it may have with healing. Kind of like putting polysporin on the wound. Second, see 2nd abstract is that cayenne, when taken internally, interferes with platelet aggregation but did not affect blood coagulation. This accounts for its ability to aid in circulation as promoted by the Snake-Oil post. The study is not consistent with cited effects of it stopping bleeding. Admittedly though the design of the 2nd study was not intended to test this.

To ‘Magneto’ I think the argument that herbal remedies aren’t accepted by science and health communities is quite unfair. Many pharmacological chemicals are based on natural derivatives. Science becomes interested in isolating the active agent and understanding the mechanism of action such agents. The fact that drug companies get rich on this and sometimes demonstrate bad corporate behaviour is not the fault of science – it is the fault of economics. My step mother and I have this argument quite often – she being a herbalist and myself being a scientist.

Abstracts from pubmed concerning cayenne:

Phytother Res. 1999 Nov;13(7):616-8.Click here to read Links
Antimicrobial screening of some Indian spices.

* De M,
* Krishna De A,
* Banerjee AB.

Department of Biochemistry, University College of Science, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta 700 019, India.

In India, spices have been traditionally used since ancient times, for the preservation of food products as they have been reported to have antiseptic and disinfectant properties. In this respect, a preliminary screening for antimicrobial activities of 35 different Indian spices has been carried out. Of the spices surveyed, the results indicate that clove, cinnamon, bishop's weed, chilli, horse raddish, cumin, tamarind, black cumin, pomegranate seeds, nutmeg, garlic, onion, tejpat, celery, cambodge, have potent antimicrobial activities against the test organisms Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 9763). The results also establish the traditional use of spices as food preservatives, disinfectants and antiseptics. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

: Thromb Res. 1985 Mar 15;37(6):669-79. Links
Antihemostatic and antithrombotic effects of capsaicin in comparison with aspirin and indomethacin.

* Wang JP,
* Hsu MF,
* Hsu TP,
* Teng CM.

Capsaicin prolonged the tail bleeding time in the conscious mice. This effect was dose-dependent and maximal effect was observed at 3 hr after the oral administration. Capsaicin was effective in preventing death caused by ADP-induced acute pulmonary thromboembolism in mice at dose of 25 mg/kg, while aspirin and indomethacin had no effect at 200 mg/kg. Capsaicin also reduced the mortality in collagen- and sodium arachidonate-induced thromboembolic death at dose of 25 and 50 mg/kg, respectively, and aspirin and indomethacin were also effective in these models but only when the dose was higher than 200 mg/kg. Capsaicin, aspirin or indomethacin could not protect mice from endotoxin shock. Capsaicin was found to suppress platelet aggregation markedly, but did not affect blood coagulation. In conclusion, capsaicin was proved to be more effective than aspirin and indomethacin in preventing the death of acute pulmonary thromboembolism, and this effect could be due to its inhibition on platelet aggregation.

 

[magneto]

To ‘Magneto’ I think the argument that herbal remedies aren’t accepted by science and health communities is quite unfair.

I said that? Please re-read it. I said,

I don't think you will ever see the any government sanctioned group, IE the FDA, New England Journal of Medicine or whomever say that old home remedies work.

Never have, never will.

Perhaps this may help,


Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
sanc•tion ˈsæŋk ʃən - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sangk-shuh n] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. authoritative permission or approval, as for an action.
2. something that serves to support an action, condition, etc.
3. something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc.
4. Law.
a. a provision of a law enacting a penalty for disobedience or a reward for obedience.
b. the penalty or reward.

5. International Law. action by one or more states toward another state calculated to force it to comply with legal obligations.



When ever you purchase a product like an herb it will always have something like this printed on it.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

I know there are companies that research this kind of stuff, they just aren't sanctioned by the U.S. Government.

Never have, never will.

 

[kgd]

Okay Magneto, maybe I shouldn't have tried to put words in your mouth. But from your post above I now can't figure out what the context of your response to Watchful was.

Maybe I'm confused by your catchphrase 'never have, never will'. Is that part of your post or a footer that you use?

 

[nemoaz]

Hard not to notice the conspicuous lack of initials after this Tom Harrelson's name.

Guys, instead of trying to learn this voodoo off the internet, why don't you take an EMT class? Try to take lotsa clinical rotations in the ER and maybe in the field too. Then volunteer more after you get out of class. You'll learn lotsa useful stuff. Trust me, they are always looking for volunteers.

I must say that ASSESSMENT skills are the key skill for an emergency medical type. And it wouldn't help knowing real emergency medical skills in case the herbal stuff doesn't work.

 

[magneto]

Okay Magneto, maybe I shouldn't have tried to put words in your mouth. But from your post above I now can't figure out what the context of your response to Watchful was.

Maybe I'm confused by your catchphrase 'never have, never will'. Is that part of your post or a footer that you use?

No problem, I should have looked to see where you are from. Over here the gov't ain't to excited about home remedies. They never have been nor will they ever be. Hence the term "never have, never will".

Just part of the post.

I think the gov't wants us dependant on them for all our needs. I got some "meds" from Canada and thought it was so cool that you could actually take care of youself with off the shelf stuff. Not so here.

 

[bubbacatfish]

One summer years ago I worked in the kitchen of small restaurant with a chef who was Moroccan & he kept a small bowl of paprika by him for just this reason. Twice I saw him apply it to a fresh cut to stop the bleeding, which it did quite quickly. Can't say if it hurt or not as he was swearing pretty steadily & still had the knife in his hand so i didn't ask...

I'd likely give it a try if it was handy when needed.

 

[Watchful]

I don't think you will ever see the any government sanctioned group, IE the FDA, New England Journal of Medicine or whomever say that old home remedies work.

Never have, never will.

I was unaware that the NEJM was government sanctioned. This must be news to everyone. Including them!

That said, many home remedies do not work. Which is why there's not a lot of established scientific support for them.

At the same time, many home remedies are validated and endorsed or promoted by the medical community: ice on swelling, chicken soup for a cold, orange juice, cod liver oil, etc.

Of course, as soon as that happens, they're no longer "home remedies." So many folks have rhetorically created a Catch 22 that makes science always sound wrong. I've edited this post, because my interpretation of Magneto's response was along KGD's.

That said, the reason for the FDA's warning on herbal packages is the result of... you guessed it... lawsuits! Many people purchase herbal medications with the understanding that "if they didn't work, the FDA wouldn't allow it to be sold." In fact, the FDA does not prevent the sale of non-medical substances, whether or not they have any clinical efficacy whatsoever. This came up big time a few years ago when some traditional medicines were making people sicker, and lawsuits followed. Further, I recall about ten years ago there was a diet herbal supplement claiming in its advertising and its packaging that it was "fully allowed by the FDA, so you know it's safe!" It wasn't prohibited for sale by the FDA; the FDA makes no further claims of product safety.

 

[jag-engr]

Back to the original point of this thread...

I've used cayenne for shaving knicks and found it to be adequate, but not necessarily better that another finely ground powder, such as flour. It does sting a little, but not very much.

I imagine that it would be less likely to allow infection to develop.

I'm going to have to agree with RescueRiley, that it's better to know good first aid and be careful with that Super Glue - it seal in the blood, but it may also seal in infection.

 

[GibsonFan]

Guys, instead of trying to learn this voodoo off the internet, why don't you take an EMT class? Try to take lotsa clinical rotations in the ER and maybe in the field too. Then volunteer more after you get out of class. You'll learn lotsa useful stuff. Trust me, they are always looking for volunteers.

That's a fine idea, but I for one, already have plenty of demands on my time. For instance, right now I gotta go cash my unemployment check and buy some pepper seeds...

 

[Shoki]

Actually, I have CPR, FA, BP, and AED certs and I'm still interested in this 'voodoo'. I just think it's an interesting idea. If I can't find my styptic pen, a pinch of cayenne pepper might be a decent alternative for those occasional butterlfy knife slips. The next time I get a nice cut, you better believe I'm going to pack some cayenne in there to see what happens. If it works, I'll seal some up and toss it in with the superglue, tea tree oil, ammonium carbonate and other voodoo I keep in my first aid kits.

 

[geekswithguns]

Pitdog thanks for the info but I put my foil hat on and stopped reading when it said I should start taking the tincture on a new moon.

...and similarly I stopped when I saw something about echinacea...

I hear patchoulie is a good substitute for a tourniquet

 

[mmmotorcycle]

Back to the original point of this thread...

I've used cayenne for shaving knicks and found it to be adequate, but not necessarily better that another finely ground powder, such as flour. It does sting a little, but not very much.

I imagine that it would be less likely to allow infection to develop.

I'm going to have to agree with RescueRiley, that it's better to know good first aid and be careful with that Super Glue - it seal in the blood, but it may also seal in infection.

You've some good points and it it nice to hear more personal experience in this issue. To be quite honest I would rather stick to conventional methods for the time being. In time I will also try the pepper but only in a controlable situation.

 

[kgd]

One reason it is good to have some standard medical supplies in your PSK is that they have labels on them which describe their contents, purpose, expiry date and also provide clear instructions. It may be your buddy going through your PSK and attending to you instead of the other way around. If she/he doesn't know the difference between the yellow powder baggie, rusty-coloured powder baggie and white powdered baggie well then you just might have a problem.

 

[Don Rearic]

Just a piece of advice. I am reading about a lot of people using Crazy Glue or the ER equivalent of same to close lacerations in the field. I would suggest that you leave it open and live with the scar unless you have the ability to clean the wound thoroughly in the field. You could be causing yourself a really nasty abscess by not properly cleaning the wound.

As for all of the Heaven's Gate Cayenne Remedies - well, it's just one step below the witchdoctoring of modern medicine which dictates by law that infants must be inoculated with vaccines with stabilizers and preservatives that contain mercury while warning us not to eat large fish because they might contain high levels of mercury. More Governmental B.S. Look at what is going on with mandatory vaccinations for girls to attend school with the pharmaceutical companies paying off politicians to sell their snake oil. Don't trust JAMA and the rest of the agenda-driven "scientists" either.

 

[nemoaz]

Just a piece of advice. I am reading about a lot of people using Crazy Glue or the ER equivalent of same to close lacerations in the field. I would suggest that you leave it open and live with the scar unless you have the ability to clean the wound thoroughly in the field. You could be causing yourself a really nasty abscess by not properly cleaning the wound.

+1. Very few benefits of trying the various stitch yourself up methods and quite a few dangers.

 

[outofgum]

Cayanne pepper can help with a sore throat. When I have one, I put about 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of cayanne into a cup of water and gargle. The throat has no taste buds so it doesn't burn, but you will taste a little bit of the spice for a moment in your mouth when it hits your tongue.

Superglue is often used to close small cuts. I've done it before for paper cuts with no problem. Liquid bandages are a modified version of superglue which also contains antiseptic and stings like hell when applied. If used right, cuts can heal with very little scarring.

 

[Don Rearic]

Cayanne pepper can help with a sore throat. When I have one, I put about 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of cayanne into a cup of water and gargle. The throat has no taste buds so it doesn't burn, but you will taste a little bit of the spice for a moment in your mouth when it hits your tongue.

Just for the record, I happen to love Cayenne Pepper, much to the chagrin of my wife.

Superglue is often used to close small cuts. I've done it before for paper cuts with no problem. Liquid bandages are a modified version of superglue which also contains antiseptic and stings like hell when applied. If used right, cuts can heal with very little scarring.

Small cuts that you use an antiseptic on are probably not going to be a problem. However, if you are talking about larger lacerations and bad abrasions where there is dirt and debris in the wound, you're going to have to physically clean that out and it hurts a lot. If you have ever had sutures in an ER you will please remember back to Nurse Ratchet taking a small brush and sponge, small bristles on one side and a sponge on the other, to your wound and then cleaning it out with antiseptic as well.

This is the Wilderness Forum, we're talking about survival-related topics and not so much paper cuts at the moment and I just don't want people to think if they take a tumble down a hill or off of some rock and receive a bad cut or abrasion that they should just close it with Crazy Glue and forget about it until they get home a couple days later.

There are two main reasons to suture, to promote clotting of blood and alleviating hemorrhage and for cosmetic reasons, less scarring from proper suturing of a nasty cut. Suturing also inhibits further damage from the natural movement of the body increasing the size of the wound or from contact with something else in the environment, i.e., ripping the wound open even more, etc.

These are the main reasons to suture. In most cases, the ability to care for it properly, to bandage it and protect it properly, is what is really needed and not necessarily closing it up with an adhesive when you cannot properly clean the wound.

What do you really need in order to properly use the surgical adhesive? Why, you can make a little wound closure kit that's really compact and priceless if you need it. All you need with that is a supply of clean water, etc.

Go to CVS, Rite-Aid or Walgreens and get the good little travel toothbrushes that come in two pieces, the brush and the container/case that holds it. Put in one of the small crush tubes of surgical adhesive and one or two crush ampoules of Povidone/Betadine and pack the rest of it with individual alcohol soaked towelettes. Using clean water, rub the wound gently to clean out debris and then use the soft nylon bristles of the toothbrush, having never been put in your mouth, to scrub out anything else. Then use antiseptic and close it while it is clean.

You might think all of that is B.S. and you might think that you can just stick Duct or Electrical Tape over it or use Crazy Glue - you can get away with that in a lot of cases - but if it goes bad, it's going to be really bad.

 

[Watchful]

... it's just one step below the witchdoctoring of modern medicine which dictates by law that infants must be inoculated with vaccines with stabilizers and preservatives that contain mercury while warning us not to eat large fish because they might contain high levels of mercury.

You know what would be interesting? If all the people who badmouthed modern medicine gave up all the benefits they've received from it over the years. This includes every innoculation, vaccination, and even--yes--aspirin they've taken. There's a reason people used to die at 35. Hell, almost all of us would be dead by smallpox right now.

So where's the witch-doctoring? Is it witch doctoring that a small amount of mercury is added to thimerosal to kill off bacteria that might make our kids sicker, and that a microscopic dose of mercury is not in any way harmful, but a large dose in fish can?

Or is it that when it comes to modern medicine, you may not know what you're talking about?

More Governmental B.S. Look at what is going on with mandatory vaccinations for girls to attend school with the pharmaceutical companies paying off politicians to sell their snake oil. Don't trust JAMA and the rest of the agenda-driven "scientists" either.

This is clearly your opinion, but I find it incredible that when medicine finds a relatively low cost preventative for cancer, why not use it?

You know why they have to make it mandatory? Because under-educated folks, who think that modern medicine is a government conspiracy while simultaenously reaping all the benefits of it (like staying alive), won't let the government do three little shots that will save 70% of their daughters' lives.

Don, you can't seriously believe some of your statements, do you?

 

[tholiver]

Caveat emptor.
Some alternative cures are worse/more damaging than the actual ilness. But not all.

Some companies/persons in the pharmaceutical/medical profession are just in it for the money.
But not all.

Naturally occurring medicines/herbs cannot be patented and therefore are less exclusive/profitable for the pharmaceutical companies.
Therefore many pharmceutical companies tend to denigrate/denounce alternative cures as "voodoo".
But not all.

With any remedy its in your best interest to research the cures/treatments and find as many educated opinions as possible before discarding or using said remedy.