Red pepper and dyspepsia - Medical News From Around World

Nutrition Health Review, Winter, 2002

ITALY--Capsaicin, a component of red pepper powder, was found to be effective in reducing the discomfort of functional dyspepsia (indigestion).

Researchers at the University of Bologna and other institutions, according to the New England Journal of Medicine (March 21, 2002), dispensed either 2.5 grams of red pepper powder or a placebo to patients participating in the study. The patients received one capsule each day for five weeks and kept pain diaries to track the effects and to assess any improvement.

The patients who received the red pepper capsule experienced a 60 percent reduction in epigastric pain, fullness, and nausea, compared to a 30 percent reduction in the placebo group.

The effectiveness of the red pepper capsules may be a result of a desensitization of gastric pain caused by the capsaicin component, which is also used as a treatment for muscular tension and arthritis. Further studies are needed to determine the therapeutic potential of capsaicin.