A reader wrote in asking if it’s okay to use cayenne pepper capsules instead of mixing the cayenne pepper directly into the lemonade…

“Hi, I am wondering if I could take pure cayenne pepper capsules instead of putting the powder directly in my lemonade……. Please let me know! Thank you.”

While the master cleanse recipe says to mix cayenne pepper in with the lemonade, it’s okay to use cayenne pepper capsules if you have a hard time drinking the lemonade with cayenne pepper mixed in.

Just make sure you’re taking the capsules at the same time you’re drinking the lemonade, or a few minutes before and you should be fine.

74 Responses

  1. if you do not plan to do at least 10 days on the master cleanse….do not even waste your time! It takes that long for the ingredients to start to melt away the mucus and toxins…..and the salt water flushes are to expel the toxins (extremely important and dangerous if they are not expelled).

  2. Hi! The MC cleanse recommends you use one tenth of a teaspoon per glass of drink…perhaps using a full capsule is just too much for your tummy to handle! Im assuming you are ingesting one capsule per glass but adding the cayenne directly to the drink is what is called for. Its really not that bad, just make sure you mix it in and dont let it sit too long because it does seem to get “spicier”.

    When i go to work i prepare my lemons & maple syrup in my drinking bottles and add half a capsule to it when i am ready for it, along with the water.

    I dont know if this will help anyone experiencing the discomfort from the cayenne but i hope so 🙂

    Btw, im on day 17 of my planned 21…I’m killing this detox! LOL! I feel great!
    Good luck!
    Tracy

  3. I purchased the “Cool Cayenne” caps that were 100,000 units and when I took two prior to my lemonade it created extreme nausea. I did it twice, but won’t do that again. What unit value is recommended when you take the caps each drink? I can promise you it’s not 100,000!!! Please let me hear as I am starting day 3 tomorrow!
    Thanks,
    Judy

  4. Hi, i have ordered the cayenne capsules and was wondering if i could take the capsule apart at put it in my food like regular cayenne pepper.

  5. I am on day 3 of the diet and I have been experiencing stomach irritations about 1-2 hours after I take the cayenne pepper capsule. I bought the capsules in the store called “Wild by Nature” and according to the bottle it says that it is 100,000 heat unit, serving size 2 capsules, amount per serving 600 mg. I take 1 capsule per mixture of 10 oz water, 2 table spoons organic grade A maple syrup, 2 table spoons of fresh squeezed organic lemons. As I mentioned above that I am experiencing stomach irritations about 1-2 hours after taking the capsule. Other than that, I have trained myself to stay on this diet for 30 days as I am liking it. Am I doing this right? Please help, how do I avoid these stomach irritations?

  6. Gastrointestinal Side Effects

    Although people use cayenne pepper to treat gastrointestinal problems, the substance can cause stomach irritation in some individuals, according to PDRhealth.com. Anyone prone to heartburn should talk to a health care provider before taking cayenne pepper capsules. Individuals with irritable bowel syndrome or stomach or intestinal ulcers may not be able to safely consume cayenne pepper supplements.
    Moisture Effects

    The body may react to effects of capsaicin stimulation by producing extra moisture, as noted by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). A person taking cayenne pepper capsules may experience sweating, flushing, watery eyes and a runny nose.
    Allergic Reaction

    Some individuals may experience an allergic reaction to cayenne pepper. This is more likely in people allergic to avocados, bananas, chestnuts, kiwi or latex, according to PDRhealth.com. Signs include difficulty breathing, chest pain, tightness in the throat or chest, a skin rash, hives, and itchy or swollen skin. An allergic reaction to cayenne pepper capsules should be considered a medical emergency.
    Kidney and Liver Issues

    Consuming too much capsaicin can cause kidney and liver damage, according to the UMMC. People should not exceed recommended doses, and anyone with kidney or liver problems should not take cayenne pepper capsules.
    Breast-Feeding Considerations

    Breast-feeding women should not eat cayenne pepper or use cayenne supplements. The MSKCC notes that some babies have developed a skin condition called erythematous dermatitis after their breast-feeding mothers ate food flavored with cayenne. Erythematous dermatitis causes skin scaling and peeling.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/121540-side-effects-cayenne-pepper-capsules/#ixzz1bkegAXoI

  7. I am completing day one and I have tried the diet before but could not do it with the cayenne pepper. I went to whole foods this time and bought empty pill capsules to put my cayenne pepper in! I take one full capsule of it with each drink. I am not hungry but the thought of eating something is always there! I can’t wait to be done! I love food! I already eat very healthy but miss food already! I will do 5 days max and 3 minimum if it comes down to it.

  8. hello ,i tried to do my cleansing but didt not made it , but i liked drinking the lemon , cayenne and maple drink is this ok ? i eat ones a day only i have lost lbs and not hungry all the time !! i would like to know if this is ok or not good for my health? thank you

  9. I just started the mast cleanse… if you don’t take the Sea Salt flush…. then you should be taking laxatives every night before you go to bed…. since your not ingesting any any food… you won’t have regular movements… so the point of the laxatives/sea salt water… is to get rid of all the stuff in your body thats bad… the cleanse cleans out your system…. but the laxatives lets you release the bad stuff from your body completely!

  10. If you read the “cleansing or Surgery” book by Embassy of Heaven CleaningOrSurgery.com it says that you should take 1/10 teaspoon for every 10oz of lemonade drink. The 500mg cayenne capsule equals about that amount so for everyone wondering how much to take. Just take one (500mg) capsule with every 10 oz lemonade drink and just make sure you are drink 10 glasses a day so the cayenne pepper intake adds up to a tsp. So read the book, its really cheap to buy and its really helpful. The internet doesnt have as much info but this book does a really good job of explaining a lot of questions.

  11. The vitamin shop has Cayenne Pepper pills that cool in your stomach. You can get a bottle of 90 for about 8 bucks ($7.49+tax), you can get more pills if you choose to do so. I currently have the Cool Cayenne by Solaray with buthcher’s broom added for artery health. I do not feel the burning sensation at all, it does what it says. You can purchase it from 40,ooo heat units (HU’s) to 100,000 HU’s your choice. I have the 40,ooo heat units, and it also comes in the Vitamin shoppe brand as well. Prices will vary acording to HU’s and amount of pills you want.

  12. Chilies is available in different sizes, shapes and degrees of hotness or spiciness. The more mature the pepper, the hotter it will be. A sweet bell pepper measures 0 SHU however a habaneros or scotch bonnet, one of the hottest identified chili peppers, data at about 300,000 SHU. Not sizzling adequate? Then attempt naga jolokia, the hottest chili around the planet which holds one.04 million SHU.

  13. On another website I read that the capsules are not as effective. If they are, I would love to try this option. The cayenne pepper is making it hard to drink my concoction.
    I am on day one too! I am way less hungry than I thought I would be. Another added bonus is I have way more time, time I would have otherwise dedicated to preparing food. I am thrilled so far.

  14. This is day one. I have made to day three on two other occasions. I am pushing to make it pass three days this time.

  15. Hey, I’m still having problems with my bowels? I took 8 pepper pills to cure my hemroids and it worked?

  16. I was wondering if I premake my lemonade and don’t make it fresh everyday will I still get the same results because I really don’t feel like making a glass a day I would rather permake it and drink it through out the day.

  17. I was wondering if I have the 515mg of cayenne capsules how many do I take per day? I was seeing that lots of people have only taken the 450 mg sapsules and they were saying that they take at least 2 per day so I was wondering how many through out the day would I have to take?

  18. Im just done with my day one on MC hurrayyy!!.. I wasn’t feeling hungry or irritated that much by the cayenne capsules even though I felt a little burning into my stomach but nothing that I could’t bear.. the most difficult thing was keeping telling my friends NO to ..”common taste this or drink this”..but still got through happily!
    God Bless!!

  19. I was also wondering do you have to do the salt flush in the morning or can you just skip over that because i can’t do the salt flush and if i don’t do the salt flush will it still work for me far as getting the same results of loosing weight?

  20. I was wondering if I purchased the 40,000 h.u. capsules 515 mg of cayenne pepper capsules can i stilluse theses and how many do i take a day. I was thinking 0nly 2 per day one in the morning with a glass of lemonade and one in the afternoon since the mgs are more then 500 mgs or am i to take more then 2 capsules per day?

  21. I’m on day 1 for the MC, I had the herbal smooth move this morning and then made the lemonaide; I thought that I would have a hard time today, but I’m fine, just a little burning in my belly. I only drank 5 cups of the lemonaide, I’m not hungry “thank god” I didn’t even pig out last night. But is it normal not to make a big bowel movement. I have not today. Well check in tomorrow. 🙂

  22. Today is day 1 of the MC. Aaaahhhh!!! I will need some strength to get through the other 9 days. I am using the pills and have figured out that two pills should be taken per 5 servings of the lemonade. I am truly trying to hang in there, but it is difficult. The Lord’s desires will carry me through, which ever direction.

  23. I start day 3 of MC tomorrow! Can I just say….. I am soooo hungry!! Day 1 I drank 4 glasses of the mix and today I only drank 2! I know that is horrible but I just couldn’t stand how much the cayanne burnt my throat! After reading this and finding out u can take cayanne peper pills… I am definitly going to the store tomorrow to get some!
    SW 226
    CW 223.8
    GW 160

  24. I make a batch of juice in the morning and fill 4 -16oz water bottles. I drink them throughout the day with a capsule of cayenne pepper with each bottle (sometimes I take 2 cayenne capsules with the afternoon bottle of juice). I found the cayenne capsules in the
    vitamin/supplement section at WalMart. SO MUCH better than mixing the cayenne with the juice!!!!

    I’m starting the MC for my third time tomorrow. Yeah!!!

  25. I am on my 4th cleanse and I LOVE it. Be very careful coming off of it. After my 1st 10 day cleanse, I was on day 4 of coming off of it and I was craving T-bone steak. To make a long story short, I ended up in the hospital on morphine. Bad idea. My current cleanse will last 14 days. I’ll celebrate with wathcing the Superbowl. I will do the MC twice a year for the rest of my life! So glad i discovered it!

  26. Be careful with the hotter cayenne capsulses. I purchased 100,000 h.u. capsules and was so sick afterwards. I never should have started with that. Within about an hour, the pain had increased to a level that I wondered if I might need to get to the emergency room. After drinking very cold water and being very still, I was able to move again without feeling faint from the pain. I can hear my pulse near my temples and I have a headache. Will start over with it all once I recover from this error.

  27. Oh and by the way.. I cant do the salt water I puked it all back up.. Id rather take it as an enema,,,lol,,, gross … stick with the tea, much easier on you, and works really well..Im excited

  28. I see a lot of questions, but no answers. Here you go…
    (1) 450mg capsule = 1/4 tsp. (1 tsp = 1.8 g).
    The cleanse calls for 1/10 tsp per 8 oz glass, so if you do 10 glasses per day that equals 1 tsp of cayenne, which in turn equals (4) 450 mg capsules.
    Here’s my daily regimen:
    1/2 half gallon distilled water
    250ml Ortega’s organic lemon juice (not from concentrate)
    250ml Grade B maple syrup

    I mix it fresh in the morning and drink it throughout the day, taking 1 capsule 4 times throughout the day. I tried cutting and juicing lemons the first time, and the incomvenienve and mess almost made me quit. Then I found bottled lemon juice. Make sure it’s fresh and not from concentrate. This shortcut saved me.
    This is my 4th time doing the cleanse, but only the first time to make it to day 10. Today is day 8, the end is in sight, and I’m going to make it this time!! I’m down 14 pounds in 8 days.

  29. Hiiii!!!! I just started day one of the Master Cleanse (MC) today. That cayenne pepper (CP) is not joke. So, I am getting some CP capsules today hopefully and wish for it to work better! Does anyone know how many mgs need to be taken per day in CP capsules? Also, a friend of mine who did the MC w/OUT the CP still got amazing results still. She lost over 20 pounds in a few weeks. Any info is appreciated. Thanks, Nicole

  30. I have hypertension and am on tablets from the doctor. I went to my chemist recently and they advised me to use in addition to the tablets Cayenne Pepper capsules and this should reduce by blood pressure. I took the first day two capsules and was fine. On the second day, excuse me saying so the cayenne pepper was burning and repeating on me. I now take one a day. Is this sufficient or should I be taking more than that. They are 500mg capsules. Please could you assist. Many thanks.

  31. i am a wimp when i comes to hot stuff…so i cant handle the pepper in my drink. i bought the capsules, and they make me soo sick. i took one yesterday and i had horrible burning stomach pain and i thought i was going to vomit. i tried again today and i actually did vomit. it sucks, but i don’t think my body can handle it. is the cleanse still at all effective if i don’t use the pepper?

  32. I did the gentle on the stomach capsules. and for some reason threw one into every glass i made. It kindof gives you something to do. like bobbing for cayenne. I went for 14days. believe after about day five my idea wont be so far fetched. great results though, 228 to 213 . 15 lbs thats whats up

  33. Just an update. I am on day 6 and going strong. The cayenne capsules are awesome and I know they are working. My day four was awful. I felt like crap and was miserable. I planned lots of events for the day, but at the end, I ended up eating two stalks of celery. I immediately regretted it the next morning when my stomach was cramping. I determined that the tea at night hurt my stomach when I still had food in it. I was fine on Saturday and Sunday, when I guess my stomach was empty, but Monday morning I was back to the pain. Today was not bad but that is probably because the celery was out. On a side note, I took the advice of getting a massage. I would definetly recommend one, not only for relaxing but also because it moved around many of the toxins still left in my body. I could tell a big difference today. As of the close of day 6, I have lost 10 lbs and feel good. Whoo hoo

  34. I am on day 3 of the cleanse. I started day 1 with the cayenne powder and it burned my throat. I finished day 1 with a sore throat but also with a trip to whole foods for cayenne capsules. I started day 2 with 4 capsules through the day. I am hoping today, day 3, to at least get 5 in. I did notice my stomach has a slight fire in it at night if I took the last capsule too close to bed. The one part that I have disliked, and amazingly it is not the salt water flush, is the smooth move tea. The first two night I woke up with horrible stomach pain from gas. Obviously you can’t risk whether it is gas or not on this diet, so I was in the bathroom 3 or 4 times before I could go back to sleep. However, last night I had no problems so I think it was just my stomach getting used to the tea. I wish everyone good luck and avoid those certain friends (you know which ones) that keep asking if you want to grab a drink or meal.

  35. Hi, I am on day one and I have been taking two 500 mg cayenne capsules with every 10 oz of water lemon/maple syrup. I am already on my third serving and its almost four pm. I have three more until bed time. I was told about the cleansing so it could help me reduce sugar levels as well. I use half of the maple syrup recommended. How is everyone else doing? any before and afters?
    Sandra

  36. Sarah from what I understand and doing some research on the master cleanse, there is no problem if you take more than the suggested quantity of cayenne pepper. The more you take and the more you can tolerate will guarantee you the best results. I’m too using the capsules at the beginning you will get the burning sensation because your body is not use to the pepper. The burning sensation will go away the next 2-3 days. Good luck.

  37. Hi Everyone,

    Today is my first day on the MC.. I thought I had read somewhere that if you are doing the capsules in stead of the powder that you should take two capsules with every 10 oz of lemonade. Reading what youve all written above makes me worried as I’ve taken 9 already and its only 2 in the afternoon! I have an awful burning in my stomach and I’m starting to get nauseous. Is there anything that can happen if I take too much?

    And I’ll definitely be cutting down on those now!

    Thank you,

  38. Or you can just buy organic ground cayenne and buy empty pill capsules from an organic food store or vitamin shop and fill each capsule with 1/4 tspn of the pepper. Then take 1 capsule twice a day. (1/2 tspn)
    I’m not sure if there is extra stuff in the premade capsules, but I’m sure there is. It being processed into the pills has to add extra unwanted things to it. By doing it yourself, you know exactly what’s in it.

  39. I broke apart one 500 mg capsule of cayenne pepper and figured out that 1 500 mg capsule of cayenne pepper=5 servings of cayenne pepper for the master cleanse, or 5/10 (1/2) tsp. So, in other words, take 2 capsules (500mg) a day. I’m going to do one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

  40. You can take cayenne capsules throughout the day. Start slow, maybe 2 per day in divided does and work your way up to six. The cayenne is important because it helps beak up the mucous in your body. Warning: don’t take the all at one time, you will get sick.

  41. I had to quit the cleanse on Day 6 as I developed chronic hiccups the evening of Day 5 and I believe that this is due to the cayenne pepper. I’m easing out if the cleanse as recommended but I still have the hiccups and this is Day 8. I’m a little worried now about how long I will have this and start feeling better. Going to see my doctor tomorrow. Anyone with similar experience?

  42. I have been drinking warm lemon water with cayenne for almost a year and have lost a lot of weight without starving and doing any other exercise other than my usual walking, resistance training and low impact workouts five days a week. To be honest, I have lost more weight by drinking a cup of lemon water with cayenne after every meal, than I have when I was a veggie and belly danced. I do believe that the lemon cayenne water acts as a laxative and also helps boost my metabolism. Whatever the case, I am very happy with the results.

  43. The sea salt mixture is VERY fast acting. In fact, I had a bowel movement within 15 minutes the first time I drank it. For me, after 30-40 minutes, I was good to go out.

  44. If your planning on using capsules your going to want to know more than how many mg it is, your going to also want to know how many h.u heat units the pepper has. I use 450 mg at 100 h.u with each glass. However if your leary on doing it just right I recommend going to the health food store and buying the powder of pepper and empty capsules. this will allow you to adjust your dosage better. as for a scale on h.u I would personally say 40-80 is decently weak, however still burns. 90-130 is pretty strong, try one capsule first off, hope it helped

  45. Hi Everyone!
    Today is my first day of the MC. It is my first time and looking forward to cleaning my bod! After reading about all the years of toxins and build up, I want that stuff out. I have decided to do the 3 day ease into to prepare and hope I will get the full 10 days after. Any suggestions or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. I also bought the cayenne pepper and the capsules. I did put some in the lemonade this morning and it is not bad. The big issue for me now is I can finish the 60oz of lemonade but I don’t know if I can drink 140oz of water on top of that! I’m trying though…for those that have done the sea salt laxative, is it really fast acting? The reason I ask is that I need to continue with my daily life and now be driving down the road when the moment comes!…so I’m thinking the sea salt might be the way to go….and at night, what is the best laxative choice? any comments would be appriciated
    thanks! ..great day for a cleanse!

  46. Why are there no answers to these questions? I wanted to ask some of the same ones but I don’t see any answers. What’s up with that?

  47. Yes i was wondering about the same thing how many capsules of cayenne pepper should you take should you take 1 or 2 every time you drink the lemonade my capsule are 390mg and today is my first day on the master cleanse

  48. Okay I am drinking 10 glasses a day in my master cleanse. But I can’t do the pepper mixed in the lemonade. How many capsules does someone take throughout the day?

  49. Hi Everyone,

    Today is my first day of the master cleanse, I made the lemonade fresh last night, the cayenne peeper is a little spicy but it goes away fast, only lingers on for maybe 90 seconds. This is literally the beggining for me, I am on my first bottle, and Im kind of hungry, I think my body is like “Where is my breakfast?” But I am sticking to it …. 10 days. I will update you all each day and let you know how my cleanse is going. I didnt take the LaxTea last night as recommended, but I will be taking it tonight, as well as my Salt water Wash. Thanks for any support by the way … I have a feeling this is going to be hard. However it is a journey I must take.

    Thanks,
    J 7

  50. hey i didnt get cayenne pepper or red pepper anywhere….i live in sri lanka…can i use red chilli powder instead of cayenne ? i know this sounds stupid…but i really need to do MC…please help me

  51. Why don’t you guy’s stop moaning and get on with the cleanse. To do it any other way other than the master cleanse is is not the master cleanse.

  52. My daughter and I are on day 3 of our third cleanse in two years! We calculated the recipe so that we could make two separate drinks of 32 oz. each (it works better for our lifestyles) – so for each 32 oz. we add 3 oz. of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 4 TBSP Grade B maple syrup, 3 capsules (450 mg each) of cayenne pepper. I like the spicy kick in the drink even though it sometimes burns a little bit in my throat. She cannot tolerate that feeling, although she tried very hard to follow the “rules”. She now takes the capsules at varying times while she slowly drinks her 32 oz. lemonade. Hope this information helps!

  53. Today is day one of trying the Master cleanse. This is also my first time. I purchased the cayenne capsule (500 mg., 100,000 Scoville Units), broke it open and poured in my first glass. Ouuuuh, what a kick. Then I took two more capsules with my second glass. Keep in mind, the recipe does not say how potent the Cayenne Pepper capsule should be. Shortly after, I became so sick. My chest felt like someone’s fist was inside and my heart beat was racing faster than normal. My insides was tingly and burning. I became so sick I emptied my stomach. I feel better now. However, I do feel that I became sick because I took too much cayenne pepper.

    I dont want to quit on day one, but I will definitely take less cayenne pepper.

  54. I found this great product from a company called Vibranthealth.
    It is the exact cayenne/lemonade cleanse I have made for years in powdered form. It’s completely organic and delicious. I found it at wholefoods at first, but now I get it directly from Vibranthealth.us. It even comes in convenient individual serving packets for my purse and car. I drink it hot or cold. All the girls at work think I’m their hero now!

  55. First, I wish you would post the answers to all of these great questions.
    On the cayenne pepper, I purchased 500 mg capsules and wondered if taking two every time you have a glass of lemonade was too much. It seems like if you are putting a 1/2 tsp in a whole days supply when mixing in the powder, then taking twelve 500mg capsules would be way to much…There was no specification on what mg the capsule should be when taking two.
    Also, I am on day two and have been experiencing alot of phlegm in my throat, anything I can do.

  56. I have tried and tested the drink and agree that it does definately work although the spicy sensation is a bit off putting.I thought instead of eliminating the drink altogether and moving on to somethething else that may not be as beneficial ,that drinking it through a straw would be alot less shocking to my tastebuds everytime,i make sure it doesnt even touch my mouth and it goes straight down my throat.Maybe this will help as i would really give it the thumbs up.

  57. im slightly allergic to spicy things so when I tried the drink (my fiance is on it right now) i had a small reaction. can you do the cleanse without the cayenne pepper & if so does it work as well? If not maybe I can take the capsules. your thoughts are very much appreciated

  58. I am putting the Cayenne pepper in my lemonade drink and it seems to really burn my throat as I am drinking it. Is this normal?

  59. I need to take the cayenne pepper capsules because I don’t like the taste in the lemonade, but I don’t know how many to take in a day. The capsules I have are 400mg of cayenne pepper in each. It sounds like a lot to take one with each 8 oz. of lemonade.

  60. I WAS A LIL CONCERN ABOUT THE SMOOTH MOVE TEA I HAVE A HEART MURMER AND THE TEA SAYS STIMULANT IN IT WOULD THAT CAUSE MY HEART RATE TO SPPED UP WHAT IS THE SIDE EFFECT ON THE TEA HOW DOES IT HAVE YOU FEELING

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