Cayenne

Cayenne is a finely ground hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) rated around 30,000-50,000 Scoville units — moderate heat, well above bell pepper (zero) but well below ghost peppers (1M+). The active compound is capsaicin, which activates TRPV1 receptors — the same heat-detecting receptors as actual thermal heat, which is why your mouth literally cannot tell the difference.

Reflux and gut effects

Capsaicin can relax the lower esophageal sphincter and increase gastric acid secretion. For people prone to GERD, even modest amounts of cayenne are a frequent trigger. The reverse claim — that capsaicin "heals" the stomach — comes from observational data showing populations with high chili intake don't have higher rates of ulcers, not from evidence that cayenne treats reflux. For anyone currently flaring, it's a food to remove during the elimination phase.

Metabolism and pain

Topical capsaicin creams are FDA-approved for neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain — they work by depleting substance P from local nerve endings. Dietary capsaicin produces a small, transient bump in metabolic rate (a few percent for an hour or two) but the magnitude is too small to drive meaningful weight loss. Better evidence supports cayenne and chili eaters showing modestly lower cardiovascular mortality in large cohort studies, though the mechanism isn't pinned down.