difference in good quality cayenne vs poor quality


 Hello, I was having a discussion with my family members and they said all cayenne is the same as far as quality of the product. I told them that I disagreed and that you can get good quality cayenne and not so good quality cayenne. Could you please go into a little detail explaining any differences and benefits of obtaining a good quality cayenne vs a less quality product. Thank you

 

Anytime you are discussing the quality of a botanical or vitamin product there will be variation in regards to the quality.  Many different factors can affect this.  Growing conditions can be a major variable that determines the quality of the cayenne. Some of the discussion also revolves around what application the cayenne is being used for.  For example, certain growing conditions such as temperature and moisture can alter the compounds in cayenne.  These varying conditions many shift the amount of key compounds that relate to things like taste or flavor or the level of medicinal properties in the plant.  Depending on the how the cayenne is going to be used determines the more ideal growing condition.

The other factor that can significantly impact the quality of an herb is how it is processed.  Many of the naturally occurring chemicals and compounds that give herbs medicinal properties are delicate and can be degraded under certain circumstances.  Exposure to high heat, extended time between harvest and use and exposure to excessive amounts of UV radiation during the drying process can all degrade plant compounds.  A good quality cayenne extract will be derived from plants that were carefully harvested, dried and processed in a way that maximizes the medicinal properties.  

Lastly, as is always the case with the quality of plants is the issue of soil quality.  The greater the nutrient and mineral content of the soil, the healthier and more vibrant the plant will grow.  Just like people, plants need the proper nutrition to thrive.  A healthy plant will produce ample amounts of the compounds we as humans seek for medicinal affects.  This is not just about pumping the soil full of nitrogen (a common farming practice) to make the plant produce large fruits or peppers, it is about having a well rounded source of nutrition for the plant to allow it thrive.  Most of our farming soil is depleted because farmers grow the same crops year after year and those same crops deplete the same minerals and there is no time allotted to replenish the soil.  Non-traditional farming practices, like growing organic, use techniques such as crop rotation.  If a farmer knows that corn depletes a certain nutrient from the soil he will rotate a different crop after the corn on the same plot of land.  This rotated crop is usually selected for its ability to replenish the soil with the nutrients the previous corn crop depleted.  This eradicates much of the need for heavy fertilization and produces healthier, stronger plants that need less pesticides and herbicides. 

In Health, 

Dr. Passero



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As a certified and fully trained Naturopathic Doctor, Passero has trained and preceptored with some of the nation's leading doctors in the field of natural medicine, working under the guidance of MD’s, Chiropractors, Naturopaths and Acupuncturists. Furthermore, he is currently the Vice President of the Maryland Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

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