Chillies and Your Health - Arthritis

Chillies have been used for medicinal purposes for over 6,000 years by the Indians of the areas in and around Central America.

Following their discovery by Columbus in 1492 and the subsequent distribution around the world, they were soon used as a natural medicine by the cultures that adopted them. Why, because 500 hundred years ago the only medicines were those that could be sourced from the local environment, or traded from another environment. There was very little distinction between food and medicine. This is something we are now starting to understand more and as a result we are seeing a reversion to natural medicines and therapies.

Modern medicine and science is now starting to validate many of the anecdotal health properties assigned to chillies and discover a number of potential new uses as well.

These range from treatments for arthritis and circulatory disorders through to potential cures for heart disease and cancer.

In the next few pages we'll review historical and current knowledge on a number of issues and how chillies may be used as a cure or preventative.

While I am not a medical practitioner of any type, and do not pretend to have that level of knowledge, I hold a Bachelor Of Science degree with Honours (Flinders University, 1991) and have worked for two years as a St Johns Ambulance officer, trained to Emergency Care & Transport certification. As a result I can at least sort out the facts from the hype and present you with solid information for you to discuss with your medical advisor.

In this article I'll look at chillies and arthritis management.

The value of capsaicin (the heat compound in chillies) as a pain reliever is well known and acknowledged by modern medicine as well.

First, A Bit Of Science

Capsaicin produces much of it's beneficial effects on the human body primarily by interacting with neuropeptides; incomplete proteins in the body that perform a number of different functions.

There are three well studied neuropeptides that interact with capsaicin and these are calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), neurokinin A (NKA), and substance P.

These neuropeptides are produced when capsaicin sensitive nerves are stimulated by the presence of capsaicin. The neuropeptides transmit signals to the brain resulting in a physical reaction - pain is one of these results.

Now, with respect to arthritis sufferers, this is where things start to get interesting.

These capsaicin sensitive nerves can only produce neuropeptides at a certain rate. When the nerve is depleted, it is no longer able to send pain messages to the brain. This is why capsaicin is effective in controlling pain.

Now, don't start thinking that you can go out, rip your clothes off, and rub yourself all over with a habanero and all your troubles are over. Not that simple.

The depletion of neuropeptides from the nerve is only temporary, ranging from a few minutes to a few days depending on the amount of capsaicin the nerves have been exposed to.

Before I get onto using capsaicin to manage pain, we should just quickly discuss how it actually kills 'two birds with one stone' in regard to arthritis.

Studies by neurophysiologists in the USA have shown that one of the neuropeptides, substance P, also decreases the production of prostaglandin and collagenase, the effect of which is to reduce inflammation.

There have also been smaller, less well documented studies done that indicate substance P may also contribute to cartilage breakdown. At this point we will leave this as a side note and see if we can locate more information.

How To Use Capsaicin

Unfortunately, for those of us who love chilli, it's not simply a case of having a nice curry every night to treat pain. Though don't let that stop you.

Very little capsaicin gets into our systems by ingestion - it get processed by the liver and that's the last we see of it.

Most of the non-human medical studies are conducted by injecting extremely high doses of capsaicin directly in to the veins. Inherently risky and not something we will explore further.

Capsaicin does work well in topical creams, i.e. creams rubbed onto the area where the pain exists. The capsaicin does penetrate to the area of inflammation and pain and work as a pain management tool.

There are a number of commercially available creams containing capsaicin in varying amounts, many of them containing Glucosamine Sulfate as well. Bio-Organics Glucosamine Rapid and Cenovis Osteo-Relief are a couple of examples from the larger players in Australia.

The creams come in a range of strengths, usually from 0.25% to 0.75% capsaicin, and doctors suggest you begin with the lower concentrations and work you way up. This is primarily because many people also get a burning sensation on the skin in the area in which the cream is applied. As a result, many people stop using it, however, if you persevere the sensation will disappear after a few days. Once you are used to the low level cream, increase the strength to get a greater effect.

You may also wish to wear gloves when applying the cream to avoid the effects on your hands and accidentally rubbing it in your eye later on.

The pain relieving effect is not instantaneous, but builds up over time. Many people get results in two or three days, but some have taken up to five weeks. I'm old enough to remember watching American stuntman Evel Knievel trying to motorcycle jump the Grand Canyon; and pretty much anything else that was stationary. He now swears by capsaicin cream to ease his aches and pains (he presumably has at least a few), and actively promotes one particular brand in the USA.

As with everything else we discuss under this Chillies & Your Health section, please consult with your medical advisor before using any sort of new treatment.