You probably know of cayenne pepper as a spice. It's readily available, tastes great, and can pack quite a punch. But did you know of all of the medical uses for it? Keep reading for how it handles everything from heart health to keeping your fingers warm.

Keep your Fingers Warm

Since it's winter if you spend any time outside you are bound to feel something get chilly; your nose, toes, fingers, they're all susceptible. Cayenne can help you in 2 ways. First, taken internally, it's a powerful circulatory system booster. You immediately feel your heart beating stronger (not faster) and blood rush to your extremities. This alone often is enough to keep you warm.

Secondly, you can use it externally by placing the powder in your gloves or boots. It doesn't burn (unless you get it in your eye, be careful) but keeps whatever is around it quite warm.

Heart Healthy

There have been many instances of cayenne pepper helping those who are suffering from cardiac related issues. Since it boosts circulation and promotes a powerful heart beat, it's useful for times when your heart is taking a break from its duties.

Promotes Healthy Digestion

Finally, this stuff helps your food digest better. It gets everything in your stomach and intestines flowing around quite nicely. Often people think that it would upset your stomach but it's actually quite the opposite! Try it and you'll see.

How to Ingest Cayenne

You can find cayenne pepper in capsule, ground, and whole form. For many, the capsule is the best bet for health purposes. I myself prefer to take it in a small glass of water. I mix anywhere from 1/2 - 2 teaspoons in with 1 big gulp of water. It seems like it'd be terribly hot but I find the mixture invigorating. Unlike other hot peppers cayenne's heat doesn't linger making it ideal for this method.