Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Capsicum annuum
Family: Solanaceae
Part used: Fruit
Taste: Pungent
Temperature: Hot
Moisture: Dry

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Culinary safe; avoid therapeutic doses

While breastfeeding

Small culinary amounts generally compatible; avoid large medicinal doses as transfer to milk may cause infant colic.

For children

Culinary safe; avoid therapeutic doses under 12

Cautions

Avoid with active ulcers, GERD, hot inflammatory conditions

General contraindications

Avoid large doses; culinary amounts generally safe

Stewardship

Cayenne is globally cultivated; supply abundant. Prefer organic sources to avoid pesticide residue on processed spice. Stewardship: the humble kitchen pepper teaches that medicine lives in the food supply — a principle of nutritional sovereignty.

In the traditional record

Cayenne — introduced to Europe after 1492; Columbus documented its use by indigenous peoples of the Americas

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.