Adding a little spice to your diet may just boost your health — specifically when that spice is cayenne pepper. According to research, there are a number of health benefits of capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper, including being anti-inflammatory and supporting weight loss. But can you reap those health wins from cayenne pepper water?
Learn what the research says about the purported benefits of cayenne pepper water, which is typically a mixture of water, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice that’s served warm or iced.
6 Possible Benefits of Cayenne Pepper Water
1. It Provides Antioxidants
Cayenne pepper — and other brightly colored produce — is rich in antioxidants, which are natural plant compounds that help fight off damage to our cells.
A diet rich in antioxidants reduces your risk of developing heart disease and certain types of cancers, according to Cleveland Clinic.
2. It May Quell Your Appetite
Cayenne pepper can act as an appetite suppressant, reducing hunger so you eat less and feel full for longer. A review in Biologia Futura found that capsaicin and pepper extract can reduce the sensation of hunger, which may help ward off overeating.
3. It Could Support Weight Loss
Many folks associate cayenne pepper water with being a beverage for fast weight loss. While there is some evidence linking capsaicin to fat breakdown, drinking the spicy beverage may not actually be a quick fix.
After reviewing 15 randomized controlled trials, a meta-analysis in the British Journal of Nutrition reported that capsaicin supplementation resulted in modest success for reducing weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) in those who have overweight or obesity.
Even so, the amount of cayenne pepper water you’d need to drink to have a positive effect isn’t clear. Plus, there are healthier, more sustainable ways to lose weight than relying on cayenne pepper water alone, such as prioritizing sleep, getting adequate exercise, and focusing on nutrient intake. Cayenne pepper water may support these strategies, but it’s unlikely to be a silver bullet for weight loss on its own.
4. It Might Improve Digestion
Cayenne pepper may help improve your digestive health. Research suggests capsaicin may function as a powerful gastrointestinal stimulant, boosting your digestive tract’s ability to receive and process micronutrients and potentially treat gastrointestinal disease. The capsaicin in cayenne also boosts gastric blood flow.
5. It May Protect Your Heart
Cayenne pepper water may have cardiovascular perks because it can help dilate blood vessels. This makes blood flow more freely, boosting circulation. However, research has yet to specify the amount of cayenne pepper water you’d need to drink to get the benefits.
6. It Possibly Reduces Pain
When applied directly to the skin, capsaicin creams can decrease pain for people with arthritis and muscle injuries, according to Mayo Clinic. But there’s currently no research to support the notion that drinking cayenne pepper water offers the same benefits. Even though some people tout pain relief as a benefit of pepper water, there are no studies that support this.
How Much Cayenne Pepper Do You Need to Consume to Get the Benefits?
The potential health benefits of cayenne pepper pepper — which stem from the active component, a chemical compound known as capsaicin — make adding it into your beverage rotation seem like a no-brainer. However, research is lacking to specify how much of the spicy stuff you’d need to drink in order to notice a difference.
But if you like spice anyway, you might still be interested to give it a shot. For reference about the potential healing potency of cayenne, let’s contextualize capsaicin, which exists in many hot peppers. A pepper’s hotness level is typically measured on the Scoville heat scale, which evaluates the Scoville heat units (SHU) of the peppers based on the amount of capsaicin they contain. Put plainly, the higher the SHU level, the hotter the pepper and the higher the concentration of capsaicin.
For reference, pure capsaicin has 16 million SHU and bell peppers have zero. Cayenne has 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. Large amounts of capsaicin could be toxic, but the amount found in cayenne is small enough that drinking cayenne pepper water shouldn’t cause harm.
Depending on your tolerance, cayenne could cause mouth pain and gastric upset. You may find it most comfortable to gradually add cayenne pepper drinks to your diet. Keep in mind, cayenne can aggravate acid reflux. If you’re familiar with heartburn, you may need to skip this peppery drink.
But, while clinical guidance is currently lacking on the amount of cayenne pepper water you’d need to drink in order to notice potential benefits, if you like the taste and tolerate it well, you’re likely to encounter few if any risks.
The Takeaway
Cayenne pepper water may deliver potential benefits, but there is only minimal research supporting these benefits, and most of it is preliminary and focused instead on the perks of capsaicin, its active chemical component.
There are currently no official recommendations for the best way to consume cayenne or the amount to take.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
Azlan A et al. Antioxidant, Anti-Obesity, Nutritional and Other Beneficial Effects of Different Chili Pepper: A Review. Molecules. January 28, 2022.
Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper. Cleveland Clinic. November 30, 2021.
Sirotkin AV et al. Peppers and Their Constituents Against Obesity. Biologia Futura. September 2023.
Zhang W et al. The Effects of Capsaicin Intake on Weight Loss Among Overweight and Obese Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. British Journal of Nutrition. November 14, 2023.
Xiang Y et al. Beneficial Effects of Dietary Capsaicin in Gastrointestinal Health and Disease. Experimental Cell Research. August 15, 2022.
Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.
She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.
Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Andrea Boldt has been in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. A personal trainer, run coach, group fitness instructor and master yoga teacher, she also holds certifications in holistic and fitness nutrition.
