Is Frank's RedHot Bad For You?

Frank’s RedHot is a combination of aged cayenne red pepper, distilled vinegar, salt, water and garlic powder. Cayenne pepper has been used for centuries for its medicinal and health properties. The compound in cayenne peppers that makes them hot is called capsaicin.  The amount of capsaicin in a pepper correlates with how much heat the body can generate.  The capsaicin in cayenne acts as a metabolic booster-helping with weight loss and energy.  The capsaicin also creates a feeling of satiety and tends to help curb overeating.

Cayenne pepper aids in digestion and helps with diarrhea, upset stomach, gastric upset, reflux and flatulence.  Cayenne pepper helps with detoxification by increasing circulation and stimulating the immune system. Cayenne is cardiovascular friendly and has properties that can lower the bad cholesterol in the blood stream. Cayenne has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.  The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations notes that cayenne peppers fight infection and inflammation. Additionally, the University Of Maryland Medical Center reports that the capsaicin in cayenne peppers may offer an effective treatment for ear infections. Cayenne peppers have Vitamin A and E-however the nutrition label on RedHot does not list any vitamin percentages.  It may be that when mixing cayenne peppers with the distilled vinegar in RedHot that the nutritional content becomes negligible.

Frank’s RedHot includes distilled vinegar in its recipe. Also known as virgin vinegar it can be produced from a majority of vinegars including rice, malt, wine, fruit, balsamic, apple cider, kiwifruit, rice, coconut, palm, cane, raisin, date, beer, honey, kombucha, and much more. Vinegar is distilled from ethanol. To distill is to purify vinegar by vaporizing it, then condensing it by cooling the vapor, and collecting the resulting liquid. This produces a colorless solution with 5-8% acetic acid in the water – relatively weaker than white or spirit vinegar.

 Vinegar is rich in bioactive components like acetic acid, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin and caffeic acid giving it potent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The antioxidants protect against oxidative stress and the antimicrobial compounds preserve the shelf life of RedHot and prevents infectious agents from contaminating the liquid. The acetic acid is the main component that delivers additional medicinal benefits. Acetic acid increases the absorption of minerals in the small intestine.  By placing vinegar on various foods the mineral uptake will be improved since the absorption is heightened by the acetic acid.

Vinegar is also helpful in regulating glucose levels in the blood stream.  It is felt that the acetic acid blocks complete digestion of complex carbohydrates and increases gastric emptying.  This decreases the amount of glucose that is absorbed into the blood stream.  Vinegar is heart healthy and the polyphenols support healthy blood pressure. Vinegar is also helpful in lowering blood lipid levels.

Recent research is showing promising results with vinegar and anti-cancer effects.  In a study out of Japan, sugarcane vinegar (kibisu) induced cell death, reducing the growth of human leukemia cells.

In the area of mental health, studies are demonstrating some positive results in the area of Alzheimer’s.  Kurozu, a traditional rice wine vinegar, shows a tendency to help cognitive function and has the ability to decrease amyloid accumulation in mice. Amyloid is found in high amounts in Alzheimer’s patients. This particular study found that vinegar might help the production of certain brain proteins which help reduce amyloid formation in the brain. 

Frank’s RedHot is high in sodium.  For people with high blood pressure or kidney disease this not the wisest choice. 

Overall-Frank’s RedHot has no protein, fat or carbs and is lacking in minerals and vitamins. There are reported benefits when it comes to the cayenne peppers and the vinegar but the best way to spice up your food is to buy fresh organic cayenne peppers from the produce section and enjoy the nutrients right from the fresh pepper.  You can make your own RedHot with healthy vinegar and blended fresh cayenne red peppers.  Leave out the added salt and garlic powder