Recently, this fiery, bright-red herb has become as hot in healing as it is on the tongue. Believe it or not, Cayenne, which can set your mouth ablaze, actually quells certain types of sever, chronic pain, including arthritis, diabetic foot pain and shingles. And here's another bit of news: Cayenne aids digestion and my help prevent heart disease.

Digestion? Yes, we know. Lots of folks still thing this fiery food causes ulcers. Not so, say scientists. In one study, researchers using a tiny video camera examined subjects' stomach linings while they ate both bland meals and food liberally spiced with jalapeno peppers, a close cousin of cayenne. No difference in their effects on the lining was observed.

Scientists believe capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne, assists digestion by stimulation the flow of both salvia and stomach secretions. Saliva contains enzymes that begin the breakdown of carbohydrates, an stomach secretion contain acids and other substances that help digest food.

If your goal is to aid digestion or to possibly reduce the risk of heart disease, experts recommend taking cayenne in capsules, which are available from most herbal suppliers. For pain relief, over-the-counter preparations are available. Or just keep this spice on your dinner table. Even very small amounts cayenne are therapeutic. Some of its best-known curative powers include:

• Rubbing out minor aches and pains: For centuries, herbalists have recommended topical applications of red pepper for sore muscles and joints. Medically, this type of treatment is known as "counter-irritant": It causes minor superficial discomfort but distracts the person from the more sever, deeper pain. One over-the-counter brand of capsaicin counterirritant is Heet.
• Easing long-term pain: Doctors recommend the topical cream Zostrix, which contains capsaicin, for arthritis pain, diabetic foot pane and the pain caused by shingles.
• Relieving cluster headaches: In a study, people who regularly experienced cluster headaches-characterized by a sharp, stabbing sensation on one side of the head, often around the eye-rubbed a capsaicin preparation on and inside their nose on the same side of the head as their pain. Within five days, 75 percent reported less pain and fewer headaches. If you suffer from cluster headaches, ask you doctor about prescribing a capsaicin treatment.
• Helping the heart: "Cayenne cuts cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of the blood clots that trigger heart attacks," explains Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine.

Cayenne is generally regarded as safe unless you have ulcers or a history of stomach problems. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after using either the herb or Zostrix cream. Cayenne may be kind to your stomach lining, but rub into your eyes and you've got an entirely different story.

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