Cayenne Pepper, Spices, and "The Master Cleanse"

by Frederic Patenaude

Do you like when it burns? Or why I don’t believe in cayenne pepper.

Many of my readers think that that cayenne pepper has some “miracle properties.” They think it’s a good thing to add cayenne pepper to our meals.

But my belief is that cayenne is a harmful substance and doesn’t have healing properties, at least not enough to justify eating it. Only the body has the ability to heal itself and it certainly does not help to give it irritants, such as cayenne pepper.

I can only quote Dennis Nelson in his book “Maximizing Nutrition”:

“Another illusion associated with cayenne pepper is that it aids the healing process. Again, the truth is the exact opposite of what seems to be apparent. Since there is an increased outpouring of mucous when cayenne is eaten, it is falsely assumed that the pepper is cleaning out old mucous deposits from the body. Actually, the body secretes this extra mucous coating to protect itself from the harmful, irritating alkaloids in the peppers. It then uses the mucous secretions to eliminate these alkaloids. This is the body’s defensive response and should be recognized as such.”

Does this start to make sense? If not, read what Dr. Herbert Shelton had to say about cayenne pepper and other spices:

“All condiments act as irritants and, as a consequence, induce inflammation in the digestive tract. Their continued use results in hardening (toughening) of the mucous lining of the alvine canal. This hardening renders the delicate membranes less sensitive to their irritating qualities, but cripples the efficiency of the membranes. Cayenne or red pepper is about the most fiery of all condiments.”

Let’s keep on reading what Shelton had to say about cayenne pepper:

“The irritation caused by mustard, pepper, horseradish, cayenne, and other hot and exciting substances, due to highly poisonous essential oils, which, in the pure state, quickly produce blisters upon the skin, and which in condiments when taken internally, exert their irritating effect upon the more delicate membranes of the digestive tract, excite the stomach to increasedaction in certain aspects, but lessen the secretion of gastric juice and, later, decrease the activity of the stomach.

(...)

"If pepper is taken by the non-user, its burning may be felt in the stomach. It may even result in diarrhea. When it passes out with the stools on the same of the following day, the non-user experiences the same irritation and burning in the rectum that he experienced in the mouth and throat when he ate the pepper. If it is habitually employed, nature is compelled to thicken and harden the membrane of the mouth, throat, stomach, intestine and colon to protect these against its influence.”

Here’s what I have to say about it:

If you by mistake put a little cayenne pepper on your eyes, and I’m sure it has happened to many people (it did to me!). It will burn you intensely. What do you think is happening inside of your own body when you eat it?

When you first tried to eat a hot pepper, did you absolutely enjoy or did you scream and run to go look for the water jug like your life depended on it? And did you notice that all that water that you drank didn’t seem to extinguish the fire at all?

If you give a hot pepper to a child, will he thank you for the gift or will he wonder what he did wrong to deserve such an unfair punishment?

You only know the answer to those questions. If in spite of that, you really want to keep on using cayenne pepper, it’s up to you. I, personally, will go without.

The Master Cleanse

Question: “What do you think about the Master Cleanse”?

Answer: I advise against the Master Cleanse.

Here is why:

The “Master Cleanse” recipe consists of warm water mixed with maple syrup, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and maple syrup.

It is claimed that the Master Cleanse "dissolves and eliminates toxins, cleanses the kidneys, purifies the glands and cells, and helps purify the liver."

This affirmation is of course based on nothing solid at all.

Please understand that there is no food that will cleanse the liver or purify the liver. Only the body has the ability to do so. Water is a carrying agent that is used to remove toxins out of the body. Lemon juice has no action on the body. Once it is digested, it doesn't help cleanse anything. Cayenne pepper is an irritant. Maple syrup is a simple sugar that is inferior to fruit sugar.

All the benefits that you would get from the Master Cleanse come from simply refraining from eating solid food for a few days. You would get better results if you fasted 3-4 days in bed rather than doing this "cleanse" for 7-10 days.

I do not recommend it because I oppose to the use of cayenne pepper. I wrote in my book The Raw Secrets about cayenne pepper: "Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which is a very poisonous substance. You can easily prove to yourself the toxicity of hot peppers by observing your body’s reactions after eating them. The mouth salivates and the nose often runs with clear mucus or water. These are ways for the body to dilute the poison. The warm feeling that we get is the irritation of the digestive tract and stomach. The body temperature often rises as the body tries to get rid of this strong, toxic substance. Another argument against hot peppers and spices, is that children will refuse them. No one would give a hot pepper to a child."

It is also claimed that the Master Cleanse "eliminates all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles."

Again, this is simply hype. Only the body has the ability to remove unusable waste. The water is simply a carrying agent and the lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne are digested or rejected and have no part to play in this process. You would get the same results from drinking water only for a day or two.

It is claimed that the Master Cleanse"builds a healthy blood stream." How is that possible? Blood stream is build by eating a variety of foods, and there is nothing special in maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemon juice that will make that process better or faster.

It's also said that the Master Cleanse"relieves pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels."

Again, this just comes from not eating solid food for a few days. You would get the same results with juices, water, or any other type of "cleanse"

There is nothing special about the Master Cleanse.

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