Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper is notable for histamine, salicylate, FODMAPs and oligosaccharides. Clear on tyramine, sucrose, lactose, sorbitol, fructose, nickel, oxalates and gluten.

Yes — cayenne pepper is high in histamine. Cayenne is pure ground chilli, and capsaicin - the compound that makes it hot - acts on sensory nerves and is listed among the liberators in histamine-intolerance protocols. The heat you feel and the mechanism are the same thing, which is why a hotter chilli is not simply a stronger flavour.

Yes — cayenne pepper is high in salicylate. Cayenne pepper is dried, ground chilli and carries salicylate for that reason — the assay that measured spices found salicylic acid in every one it tested. The trap is that the heat is no guide: capsaicin and salicylate are different compounds made by the plant for different purposes, so a mild chilli powder is not a lower-salicylate one and a fierce cayenne is not automatically a higher one. Judge it by the spoon, not by the burn.

Cayenne pepper contains moderate levels of FODMAPs. Cayenne pepper is one chilli, dried and ground, with nothing else in the jar — which is what separates it from a chilli powder sold as a blend. Drying concentrates the FODMAP the fruit held, and the fruit held little: fresh chilli is low, and a teaspoon of the powder is a smaller quantity again.

Cayenne pepper contains moderate levels of oligosaccharides. The chilli itself is not the problem: commercial cayenne and chilli seasonings are routinely cut with garlic and onion powder, and they are where the oligosaccharide comes from, which is what the level reflects. Pure ground chilli from a single-ingredient jar is a different answer. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.