Serious Heat: Cayenne Tea to Cure the Sniffles
"My sinuses cleared up pronto, which made the slight pain worth it."
Between the trigger of allergies and start of flu season, people go to great lengths to relieve their sinuses during fall. Take my childhood friend, Elizabeth. When we were younger, black pepper was too spicy for her. Though her palate has since become stronger, she's still on the low end when it comes to heat tolerance.
So I was surprised when she told me how successful cayenne tea was in helping her allergies. "I read in Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford that cayenne pepper will alleviate congestion, so I figured it would be easiest to use in a tea," she said.
Finding a few recipes online, she combined them to come up with her own version—a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper, two teaspoons of honey, and a lemon wedge in a mug before filling it with boiling water. "My sinuses cleared in 15 minutes, and I could breathe for the next day," she said. "Now, I use it every couple of days, and it seems to keep me clear. It also gave me an added energy boost."
Also an avid allergy sufferer, I thought if she could tolerate cayenne pepper tea, it would be a cinch for me. I recruited Chile Pepper magazine's editorial assistant, Stacy Camacho, who was also waging a battle against sinuses.
First of all, as Elizabeth had suggested do not try this on an empty stomach. I'm not gonna lie. It was hard to get through the spicy burning of the entire cup of tea. I found it easier to drink it between bites of food. And my sinuses cleared up pronto, which made the slight pain worth it.
Stacy, however, wasn't as much of a fan. "At first, I only felt the heat of the pepper! Soon I did notice that my sinuses were clearing up and I felt a burning sensation at the back of my throat. The burning quickly subsided and after a few sips, I was definitely noticing that my sniffles were gone," she said, after chucking the majority of the cayenne pepper tea in the trash.
So two out of three sniffle-ridding successes isn't bad. For me and Elizabeth, the cayenne pepper tea certainly worked quicker and better than most medicines, that's for sure. There are also some claims onlinke that cayenne pepper tea helps jump-start a metabolism. Myself, I'm just happy to breathe easier. Try it yourself and report back.
On Wednesdays, Andrea Lynn, senior editor of Chile Pepper magazine, drops by with Serious Heat.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
11 Comments:
When I was growing up, my mother always treated a cold with a mug of chicken broth with as much cayenne pepper in it as she could bear. (and frequently a shot of whisky in the mix as well...)
AliceBlue at 9:32AM on 10/07/09
I have suffered from allergies my whole life....and am prone to getting sinus infections year round.
Whenever I am stuffed up, feel a cold coming on or have an allergy attack, I pick up a couple quarts of Tom Yum or Hot & Sour soup...
Does the trick every time....so I can attest that home remedies involving cayenne or other hot peppers work faster, cheaper & more effectively.
2qrs at 9:47AM on 10/07/09
interesting-i'll have to give this a whirl.
gastronomeg at 10:38AM on 10/07/09
I actually drink a concoction very similar to this every morning to get my digestive system revving. Warm water (which I mix boiling and filtered water), about a teaspoon of raw honey, juice of half a lemon, and a couple dashes of cayenne. It also really helps to drink it with a straw not only because it helps to get it down quickly but also because of the acidity of the lemon. To clear up my congestion, I also use a neti pot every morning. It's an all natural safe way to start the day and is not as jarring as it seems!
Additionally, there are so many benefits to lemon juice and cayenne besides just allowing you to breathe. This blog post explains it really thoroughly-enjoy! http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2009/06/08/lemon-juice-makes-me-wince/
lisac at 10:57AM on 10/07/09
ooooh I'm hoping to just not get sick this winter (a novel idea, right?), but I'm habitually slightly stuffed up so I'll be giving this a try tonight.
joyyy at 12:06PM on 10/07/09
I just eat hot & sour soup. Clears up any congestion I might have.
piccola at 12:13PM on 10/07/09
hot hot tea, can't wait to try this. I wonder if I couldn't just add cayenne to my regular mint or ginger teas....
Cantaloupe Alone at 2:21PM on 10/07/09
I'll make intense aglio e olio if I am worried about catching a cold (with lots of garlic and crushed red pepper)--it's not a cureall, but it does much to clear the head.
ElizabethS at 3:11PM on 10/07/09
Interestingly enough, there's a relatively new product out there called "Sinus Buster." It's this all natural thing based on capsaicin pepper, which is nothing but cayenne. It's a nose spray. I've tried it, and it really clears out your sinuses.
richard dilallo at 8:56PM on 10/08/09
EEEK, this is seriously spicy! I'm sick and currently suffering through a glass of this stuff because the normal decongestants aren't working too well. Seems to be helping, but boy is is painful! (I guess the sore throat doesn't help things...but maybe it will numb my throat a little too??)
cupcakemuffin at 2:43PM on 10/14/09
Okay, yesterday I awoke with a slight sore throat, so I did the cayenne/lemon/honey tea and it made my throat feel much better (it also made my nose run). I had two cups yesterday and am having one now, with not quite a half teaspoon of pepper. Hoping to avert a cold!
Likeswords at 2:11PM on 10/27/09