Hot Pepper
辣椒 · Là Jiāo
Warms a cold gut and eases stiff joints
Properties
WarmingWarming botanicalPungent
Concerns
What it does
Hot pepper warms the digestive core and eases cold-pattern stomach pain, gas, and food retention. In TCM, it dispels cold and moves qi downward, helpful when overcooled diet has parked your gut. It's also applied topically to stiff joints and arthritic pain. Capsaicin, its active compound, is studied as a topical pain reliever for nerve and arthritis pain.
How to take it
Use as cooking spice freely. For topical pain relief, look for standardized capsaicin creams (0.025–0.075%) and apply to affected joints 3–4 times daily.
Try a capsaicin cream for stubborn arthritic joint pain
Add fresh chiles to stir-fries, salsas, soups, and chili. Use chili flakes or powder as a finishing spice.
Sprinkle chili flakes on noodles or eggs for a warming kick
Safety
- Strongly heating. Skip in hot patterns, fever, ulcers, or hemorrhoids
- Topical capsaicin can cause burning. Wash hands after handling
- Skip if you have GERD, peptic ulcers, or IBS flares
- Limit during pregnancy. Cooking removes most heat
- Talk to your doctor before starting medicinal use, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Hot pepper (Capsicum) originated in the Americas and reached China through Portuguese trade in the 16th century. Despite its late arrival, it became central to Sichuan and Hunan cuisines and entered TCM dietary therapy as a 'hot' food for cold patterns. Modern medicine uses purified capsaicin as a topical pain cream (Zostrix and similar) for diabetic neuropathy and arthritis, with two clinical trials in the dataset.