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Cayenne pepper does more than add a dash of spice to your meal. Long hailed as a miracle-working substance, this hot pepper can stop bleeding in less than one minute under most circumstances. Cayenne reacts with the body to equalize the blood pressure, meaning that blood will quickly clot when the pressure is equalized.

Topical Application

Ground cayenne can be sprinkled directly onto the wound with no modification whatsoever. It can also be dissolved in a bit of water and used to saturate a piece of gauze that's placed over the wound.

Internal Application

Cayenne pepper can also be taken orally. Dissolve a teaspoon of cayenne in one cup of water and drink it down. For those who may find this distasteful, you can dissolve a teaspoon of cayenne into the juice of half a lemon and a dash of maple syrup.

Other Uses

In addition to stopping the bleeding from exterior wounds, cayenne works for internal hemorrhages inside the nose, stomach and throat. In these cases, of course, the cayenne must be taken orally. Cayenne also works to improve blood circulation, assist digestion, stimulate perspiration and saliva and lessen pain from swollen or arthritic joints and limbs.

Diet

You'll reap the benefits of cayenne if you include it as a regular part of your diet. You will, however, have to eat quite a bit of it to equal one teaspoon per serving, but this hot pepper adds pizazz to a number of food items: pasta, pizza, eggs, sauces, stews and anything else you may normally sprinkle with traditional black pepper will benefit from cayenne.