Spicy, but Safe

That pink thing is supposed to be a stomach, lol

Capsicum, aka cayenne pepper, a very spicy herb that I have talked about before on the blog, is quite the tricky little devil. You see, although this herb is spicy, it won't burn* the stomach or intestinal tract lining. Despite its so-spicy-it-burns nature, cayenne is actually protective to the stomach and digestive tract lining. It's spicy chemical constituents stimulate the stomach lining to make more mucus. The walls of the stomach are lined with cells that secrete a mucus to protect the stomach lining from the acidic stomach acid. Cayenne actually ramps up the mucus production, so that the stomach becomes more protected against not only cayenne, but other acids/spices/toxins that end up in the stomach. *However, those with stomach ulcers should avoid cayenne pepper because it will burn open wounds/exposed tissues.

...and with that, it is time to go write my last Botanical Medicine exam EVER! 

Happy 12/12/12!