Cayenne

Capsicum annuum · Cayenne pepper · Capsaicinoids

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Thermogenesis¹ Meal energy intake² Total cholesterol³ Exercise performance⁴	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁵

Cayenne is the fruit of Capsicum, a culinary hot pepper whose pungent capsaicinoids act by activating the heat-sensing vanilloid receptor on sensory neurons⁵. Supplementation is used for thermogenesis and weight management, for lipid and metabolic syndrome markers, and for exercise performance.⁵ Traditional use centers on digestion and circulation⁵. The typical patient is an adult seeking modest metabolic support alongside caloric restriction.

A 10-week trial of capsiate with resistance training in untrained men found no change in body composition or appetite. A 2023 systematic review of randomized trials in healthy adults found positive exercise performance effects in about half of the trials, most pronounced in resistance training. Products listing cayenne are mainly capsules and liquid extracts; see Form comparison.

Gastrointestinal irritation and referred gastric pain are the common oral adverse effects⁵, which is why Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use with stomach ulcers or inflammation⁶. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center asks patients with high blood pressure or heart conditions to talk to their healthcare provider before use⁵.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

26 sources, 21 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources