Raw Garlic & Cayenne Pepper Powder??

I'm sure many of you here are going to start talking to me about how terribly bad both of these are, and maybe how even Organic Cayenne is not raw. Still, I've been taking a lot more cayenne lately, and garlic too. Although not always everyday (I'm still working my way up there). Now, I'm able to have 1 tsp. of cayenne powder (90,000 Heat Units) at one time. I just gulp it down, with a little water. I'm finding that it actually feels really good on my throat... once I've gotten used to it. Although many would say that it irritates the stomach and such, I can personally say that it's helped me a lot! It is very warming and it increases circulation. Its actually been used to stop heart attacks and strokes!

And today, I read that the Guinness world record on garlic is 13 cloves in one minute. I thought that was quite sad, esp. considering that it was most likely small softneck garlic from china. Anyhow, I tried it. I only had Organic hardneck garlic (from my work), and they were big cloves. I was only able to get down 8 (chewing throughly though as I had a hard time swallowing when they are not chewed for some reason). However, these were big cloves. I think if they were softneck, I would of beaten this guy's record by at least 3-5 cloves.

At any rate, I feel great! No heart burn or anything. So, I'm curious... does any of you guys take lots of cayenne and/or garlic? Once you've gotten used to it, are you happy with the health benefits as I am?

My younger sister (14 years old), had a stroke at the age of 2 (because we were living in a house that had deadly (stackibotricks) mold in it... and sorry I can't spell it). Well, she still has problems with her arm because of that. And she does not always think right. And kind of limps. I know that it is largely a problem with circulation, and I told her that if she takes Cayenne (3/4 tsp, 3 times a day) for 30 days, that I'll give her $10. Its her challenge. And she is awefully afraid of cayenne, but I think she will do it... so I hope it will help her.

Thanks and God Bless!!

~Shawn

Comments

  • Shawn,

    I personally find that both garlic and cayenne are beneficial to me. I would also add ginger to that list. Here's how I have used them: When the flu and cold season is going around and I feel a bit scratchy in the throat (like I'm coming down with something) I take a tsp of cayenne pepper in hot water and drink it. I also grind fresh ginger and make a tea from it. I feel both have helped me stop "colds" in their tracks. Of course, this is not a scientific study, just personal observation that I can't probe is actually the cayenne and ginger.

    Cayenne IS good for the circulatory system, and from what I've seen on the internet (I know, that isn't always the best source) it also helps with inflammation. Supposedly, having it in teas is better than just swallowing the pills?

    The garlic, I like some in food. I don't use it every day. But, I have had success with kicking out a bag "cold" with plenty of garlic. (I'm not sure if the "cold" was really a cold- could have been virus or bacterial?) I chopped up several cloves really small and put it in mushed avocado (to make it go down better). About three times a day.

    I REEKED for a few days. Luckily it was on my days off from work- I truly don't think I could have gone to work that way. It was so bad Hubby slept on the couch (not kidding).

    But, I was really sick. Was fearful that it was going to move down into my chest (the cold).

    If the garlic hadn't worked I definately would have gone to the doctor soon.

    Since using the cayenne and ginger, I haven't gotten sick enough to need to do the garlic thing. (Hubby's glad of that:-)

    One thing about garlic- supposedly the best use of it is when the juices are flowing (otherwards chew it up or chop it up). It's suppose to be much better than swallowing it whole.

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    hi! i just wanted to share some things i've learned about garlic, cayenne and other irritants. i used to ingest them thinking i was building health when i was actually doing the opposite.

    hi sisterbecky- the colds might have appeared to have been stopped, but that's because you introduced another emergency that the body had to clean out and so the cold is now on hold and the healing processes have been interrupted. it's best to let the sickness take it's course and rest or you will have to deal with it in the future. our bodies are self healing organisms and they know how to heal best. no medicine, herb or food will take the place of that.

    i don't consume any spices or irritants anymore and i have zero body odor. i tried garlic a few months ago and i got horrible body odor and i could smell it coming out of my pores plus i got instant heartburn. it doesn't belong in the body and my body was trying to get it out in any way possible (through the pores). that's why people have a strong smell after they consume irritating foods like garlic and onion.

    Garlic contains a substance called allicin that is anti-bacterial. it kills friendly bacteria that is necessary for health.

    Ingesting strong irritants like garlic and cayenne is like ingesting a green version of drugs. They help suppress symptoms, but they do not address the causes of the symptoms. They do not build health.

    In regards to cayenne; you know how children don't like spicy foods and how we have to train ourselves to like spicy foods? Children have more vitality and are more sensitive than adults and can sense the strong irritating nature of spicy foods. We have trained ourselves for so long on unhealthy, spicy, condiment laden foods that we don't have the same senses anymore.

    Think about touching a pepper and then touching your eyes. It burns severely because it has irritating oils and substances. Think about it going through and burning our delicate digestive tract.

    Cayenne is believed to increase circulation and warm the body, but it does so in order to expel the toxins as fast as possible.

    Also, because mucous is produced almost instantly when cayenne is ingested people think that it has a cleansing affect when the body is actually producing mucous to protect itself from and eliminate the irritant.

    In my experience, the most health building foods are those that I don't have to train myself to eat.

    :)

  • Shawn,

    Obviously, there are various opinions on the subject, and that's okay. I'm familiar somewhat with Kelly's view of cayanne and garlic- it is a popular view for those following 80/10/10 by Dr. Graham. And, please do not see this as a slam against 80/10/10 or Graham (I actually think he has some good points). Obviously, I disagree with him on this issue.

    Some gentle comments on Kelly's points since they were somewhat in response to my post. My example of my very bad "cold" that was moving into my chest was anecdotal, so I can not "prove" that it helped me heal.

    Much of raw food studies are anecdotal as well, as was your (bad) experience with garlic, and your feeling healthier not eating them.

    There are MANY studies out there that show garlic to be healthy, and cayanne. I would guess, more studies showing their health benefits than showing them as harmful. The list of health benefits are tremendous- I would encourage anyone interested to google garlic and cayanne. Natural healers and herbalists have been suggesting these two for MANY years.

    That, to me doesn't prove the issue one way or the other, but does show that the belief in garlic and cayanne being healthy is not something to be dismissed so easily.

    Because a food stinks, or makes you stink, doesn't neccessarily mean it's bad for you. I can smell high fruit days in my urine and my pores. I still think those fruits are healthy. Do they make me stink? That's a matter of opinion I guess.

    As far as the allicin in the garlic- yes it contains it. The info I'm finding on it states that the enzyme that produces allicin in the garlic (allinase) is actually rendered inactive by the stomach's digestive juices. So, I would think that the allicin would not be an issue so much, because it doesn't get into your system so much. I would suppose it could still be absorbed some in your mouth? This also begs the question: if the allicin isn't usually absorbed because the allinase is broken down first, what would give it anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties to begin with?

    Another thought to ponder. If one questions if the allicin would attack "good" bacterial (which is a bad thing), might our own bodies defenses do the same? I would guess that our immune system, and anti-bacterial foods such as garlic would keep the levels low (of either good or bad) so there isn't an ourbreak. Most of our bodies contain some "bad" bacteria too- just not enough to make us sick.

    As far as the cayanne- my daugher loved spices foods since she was a toddler. I don't care that much for them myself. So, I would disagree that children must be taught to like spicy food. Again, this is just my word on her prefrences. She has never cared for many vegetables accept for corn. If we went by the theory that children know naturally what to eat- many children would live on sugar. Many children have to be trained to like healthy foods. Some come by it naturally, but definately not all.

    I understand your point about touching pepper to your eyes. But, your stomach is not the same physically as your eyes. It has a strong mucus membrane that allows it to not digest itself. A healthy stomach isn't delicate. If you rubbed stomach digestive juices in your eyes they would burn too (I believe one of the digestive juices is actually hydrochloric acid- definately strong stuff). Even eating a healthy, plant based diet you still produce stomach acid.

    Anyways- I know that garlic, cayanne and such can be quite heated topics around here. There's another side to every argument about it it seems.

    I will agree that one shouldn't eat junk, not exercise, and not get enough sleep (otherwords, live unhealthy) and then want to pop a "super food" or supplement to cure it all though.

  • Actually, I used to put cayenne tincture (an herbal preparation made with cayenne and alcohol) mixed with eyebright tincture (another herbal preparation that I bought from www.herbdoc.com)... IN MY EYES. At one time, I was doing it three times a day. I used an eyecup and added distilled water to it.

    And, to be honest... I feel bad that I've not made the time to do it recently. When I did do it everyday, my eyes got used to the heat and it really was not that bad. Of course, the more cayenne I used... the more it burned my eyes. But, like I say... it really was not that bad. And, it left my eyes feeling warm (a pleasant sensation esp in the winter time) and red. I always felt better after doing this. If my eyes were tired and sore, the cayenne helped a lot. It even improved my vision to a degree. I'm sure if I was still doing it now, my eyesight would be better.

    I understand lots of people are going to talk about how its an irritant and such. In fact, many 'health' books say that taking too much cayenne is dangerous as it can seriously irritate the intestines. One college student said that his classroom was doing a study on Bhut Jolokia, the worlds hottest pepper... rating at 1,000,000 heat units whereas my cayenne powder is 90,00. This college student said that if you were to eat ONE of them.... you're dead. Its just WAY WAY WAY too much heat and it can seriously burn the stomach and irritate the intestines. Its a risk not worth taking. HOWEVER, many people have lived off these such peppers for years and years. Just like most natives have lived off of fermented foods, and spicy foods... and very often they were found to be MUCH healthier than most people who ate a more modern diet. If anyone is interested in the link on Bhut Jolokia peppers, here it is: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/04/serious-heat-bhut-jolokia-chile-salsa-oil-recipe.html

    So yes, people will talk about how its bad for you and all. I understand that. I also cannot say that cayenne will raise a person from the dead, or that it will cure cancer. If I did I would be getting a nasty phone call (or worse) from the FDA. I can, however, speak from my own experience, and my experience with cayenne has been only good. And what I've read about it too.

    To those who think cayenne is an irritant, I will tell you something... and then I'll ask you something, OK? Cayenne has never upset my stomach since I've gotten used to it. it actually feels good on the throat, and I have a warming sensation in my stomach. I've been able to take 1.5 tsp without having a problem. This morning I took it HOT with hot water and lime juice. Great to combat colds! Anyhow, cayenne has also been used to stop heart attacks and strokes DEAD in their tracks. You can read about it. If you need help, I'll give you some links. So let me ask you, if you were having a heart attack, what would you rather take, 2 TBSP or so of cayenne pepper (it being gushed down you throat by someone else, most likely), or aspirin and electric shock... and who knows what else?

    I think that so many people do so many studies about what is bad for you, and about what can kill you... of NATURAL and even plant based foods. Foods that many have lived off of for thousands of years. And, I've concluded that people know too much. It seems to me that there is a danger to knowing too much. Because, people do all these studies on good goods and healing herbs, and then they miss out on the benefits because not everything you read is true.

    Same thing with raw milk. I know a lot of you guys here would not drink raw milk. But I'm sure if you had a gun to your head and someone told you to drink either factory make pasteurized milk, or local organic raw milk, you would choose the raw. At any rate, people have called good bad and bad good. It is said that the raw milk is VERY bad for you as you could get awfully sick and its not worth the risk. And so people eat the cooked stuff.... and, get sick.

    So, I like cayenne... it helps me. Gives me more energy. Makes me feel great. You don't have to like it.

    God Bless You All!

    ~Shawn

  • Kelly,

    Based on your explanation... cayenne produces mucous because its a irritant. And it increases circulation because the body works REALLY hard to expel the cayenne.

    Sooooo, why don't you try taking some chemicals that are also strong irritants. Do a study on it, if you'd like. Choose a irritant that is not an herb, and see if it turns your face red instantly. And then see if it makes mucous. And then see if it does anything for a heart attack patient.

    It would be interesting...

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    children would love to live on sugar because your body runs off of simple sugars and conventional parents don't usually have very much fruit around. parents are feeding their children way too much fat and protein these days and not enough healthy carbs so children are yearning for them in the form of sweets. I've never known a child that liked spicy foods so yours is definitely an exception. I don't follow 80/10/10 but it is a great book. I eat my own way which I feel best and right now that is fruitarian.

    saying that there is so much information about the health benefits doesn't mean much, because i can search the health benefits of something we all know is unhealthy and still find articles about the health benefits.

    i think if food makes you stink it is a good way of knowing if a food is healthy or not but that's me. i have zero odor eating fruit and veggies but have odor eating any processed food, or onions, garlic, spices, etc.

    i'm not telling you to stop consuming irritants, but i'm telling you what i've learned by getting my body really clean and listening to it. if i was in nature i would never find a way to consume cayenne and I would never know which plant to dig up and eat the cloves. just my opinion. and i also just wanted to share with people that may be reading to give them the other side of the argument.

    shawn, you said you had to get your body used to consuming it. what was the process like?

    i used to take dr. schultzes cayenne tincture and i used to use the eyebright formula a few yeas ago and they didn't do a thing to build health for me. i didn't see that they were harmful until i gave them up for months and then tried them again, ouch!

    in my opinion, we still have some natural senses to know what is toxic or not when it is presented to our bodies in it's natural form and not processed at all. if you have to train yourself to eat a vegetable, herb or whatever then i feel like it's our bodies telling us that this is not a natural food for us. if a green is bitter i won't eat it, if a vegetable doesn't taste good to me in it's raw natural state i won't eat it. i won't try and trick my senses by mixing these things with edible things so that i can consume them either. nature gave us a way of eating things that give a pleasurable sensation so that we would continue to eat and survive and i'm sure it also gave us a way to know what is toxic through bitter and irritating tastes and unappetizing smells. in my opinion, it is best to picture yourself in nature without any tools and put all science, health and nutrition knowledge aside and picture what you would and wouldn't be eating. it would be hard knowing what plants are "medicinal" without an herb book so we would go by our senses (taste and smell).

    colds are a way for the body to heal itself and stopping them or interrupting them does not build health. it stops your body from fully healing. herbalists and people like dr. schultze don't understand that the body is a self healing organism and that disease is a way for the body to heal itself when it is overburdened with toxins. when you have a cold and you have a lot of mucous coming out and your sneezing and coughing, that is a way our bodies expel toxins. interrupting it prevents the healing and release of the toxins. eating a healthy diet that gives your body all the nourishment it needs and that doesn't introduce more toxins is the way to build health. if you are still sick, then the diet needs to be changed, herbal tinctures don't need to be added in. i really recommend reading up on water fasting if you're sick or when you have the chance.

    i would not put chemicals in my body so your proposed experiment will have to be done on someone else. does the information about cayenne healing heat attack patients come from dr. schultze's site or another site where they are selling cayenne tinctures?

    i just wanted to share my opinion. everyone is entitled to have their own.

  • susan121susan121 Raw Newbie

    Everyone else wrote an essay, so I'll make mine short and sweet.

    I vote yes to cayenne and garlic.

    Yes to cayenne because I have Raynaud's Disease and it's the only way to get my blood circulating better to my extremities. Also, because my dog got shot last year and and we thought she would bleed to death until we put cayenne in the wound and it stopped immediately.

    Garlic, yes, because my grandfather swears by it. He grows his own and eats it every day, is never sick, walks several miles a day and he's 89!

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