There is also some evidence that sudden, potentially lethal and inexplicable blood clot formation in the body can be halted by the compound capsaicin. According to the results of a research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the majority of people in Thailand have almost no blood clotting complications due to the dietary consumption of large quantities of red pepper on a regular basis. This can be taken to imply that potentially severe blood clot formation can be avoided by consuming capsicum regularly. The general advice is that taking two capsaicin capsules every day is beneficial for the maintenance of general health and it is suggested that susceptible individuals eat more of a Mexican, an Indian or other chili based diets on a regular basis. The blood can also be kept thin by regular consumption of other kinds of spicy foods laced with abundant quantities of red pepper. Helping the prevention of blood clot formation by following these suggestions will also ensure that a person has lesser chances of suffering from a stroke - a severe condition which is almost always due to a blood clot. The amazing thing about capsaicin and its ability to induce so much "hotness" and irritation on the skin is that it can aid in the healing of painfully raw and sensitive stomach ulcers, helping in the healing process of damaged tissues over a period of time during recovery. The main question to ask is how does the compound accomplish this action in the human body? One possible effect of the capsaicin inside the body can be that the compound stimulates the mucosal cells in the gut, this may result in the rapid release of more slimy mucous which results in a mucus coating forming on the walls of the intestines, and this coating may also cover the sore and bleeding intestinal ulcers, preventing them from spreading and leading to the healing of the damaged tissues. The analogy of a dog licking its wounds or a man sucking a burnt finger in his mouth, can be used as a comparison for the way stomach ulcers are alleviated when covered by heavy mucous secretions in the intestines. The healing of ulcers in the intestinal area is thus accomplished by cayenne peppers in this way - all due of course, to the presence of the chemical compound capsaicin. The dosage of herbal capsaicin suggested for daily consumption is a single capsule, taken two times to thrice along with the daily meals - this dosage must be maintained throughout the supplementation period. The elevated high blood sugar levels which affects diabetics can also be reduced significantly by making the patient consume an average of three capsules of capsicum, such as the herbal product called Nature's Way or any herbal capsule brand of capsicum from a health food store - regularly taking this dose of capsicum will enable the patient to control and lower the heightened blood glucose levels in the body. Conversely patients who are not otherwise diabetic and are diagnosed with hypoglycemic, are advice to avoid all cayenne and chili based products in their own interest - they should strictly remove all capsaicin containing foods in their meals and must stay off herbal formulas containing capsaicin at the same time. During animal tests involving rodents in the laboratory, the test rodents were given a very high fat diet; at the same time cayenne pepper was also supplemented to study its effects on the physiology of the animals. One of the most significant and immediate results that could be discerned in the animals was liver cholesterol content did not rise and the animals also seemed to experience an increased in the excretion of cholesterol in the feces. These beneficial effects of the cayenne must be taken advantage of, and individuals who are consuming any type of greasy food, must ensure that they drink at least eight oz. glasses of tomato juice fortified with a pinch of cayenne pepper with some lemon juice added for flavor. The risk of heart disease can be substantially lowered in this way if the diet is carefully followed. A particular kind of severe and uncomfortable headache called cluster headaches affects many unfortunate patients around the world. These types of headaches can last from half an hour to a whole two hours at times and may suddenly affect the person many times daily for months at a time. The presence of throbbing pain in and around the eye is the first symptoms of such headaches and they are characterized by such excruciating and severe pains from other types of headaches or migraines. Patients suffering from cluster headaches often complain of a severe and intense pain in the eyeball as a hypodermic syringe stabbing them in the eye - such is the intensity of the pain during the occurrence of the headache that the patient may be unable to perform any tasks, physical or otherwise and may be totally overcome by the pain. Approximately two million Americans suffering from cluster headaches can soon expect some relief thanks largely to the results obtained during the course of a pioneering research carried out in Italy - a cure from the worst aspects of cluster headaches may soon be on the horizon due to this research. During the course of the investigation, several Italian doctors tested the physiological effects of a capsaicin based cream called Zostrix for up to a week on a group of forty five cluster headache patients. During the trial, the clinical researchers used sterile cotton swabs smudged with a little of the capsaicin cream, these swabs were then inserted about an inch into the nostrils of the patient towards the side of the head where the symptomatic pain was greatest during an attack of the cluster headache. This initial insertion of the swabs was followed by sessions of massages immediately upon removal of the swabs, each such session lasted fifteen seconds during which the nostril was gently massaged to ensure that the capsaicin cream in the nostril was evenly distributed within the entire nostril - the rubbing was also intended to enable the penetration of the cream into the mucous membranes inside the nostril. Amazing results were obtained from the week long study, thirty four of the patients experienced a total disappearance of the symptoms associated with the cluster headaches, and some of the remaining patients were also free of symptomatic pain for up to a year following the tests. Only six of the patients reported no improvement at all, while five others experienced a 500/0 reduction in the intensity and severity of the headaches. An initial burning sensation in the nostril was the only side significant side effect of note, noticed by any of the patients using the cream - however, this burning sensation also stopped being a problem after four or five applications of the cream.
