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You read all kinds of things on Dr. Google, eh? I know I do while I’m researching what I’m going to write for you.

I read some interesting articles last year which I made a mental note of. One was about cayenne pepper and how it could stop bleeding. I stored this fascinating detail in the back of my mind, should I ever cut myself again in the kitchen (which tends to happen more frequently than I care to admit).

It came to pass one night when I was in a hurry again. I cut myself on an onion. The month before it was from cutting bread with a serrated knife that slipped. As a medical professional, you’d think I’d wear gloves or slow down!

I did my usual things:
— Held my arm above my head
— Put an ice cube on it
— Took a Tylenol to dull the pain
— Squeezed my finger
— Wrapped it in a cold, wet towel
— Ran around the house yelling, “I’m bleeding!”
— Prayed
— Whined to my husband that I was in a hurry again
— Promised myself I would slow down in the kitchen
— Swore like a trucker

Nothing worked this time, and the bleeding was getting pretty ugly. But then I remembered the cayenne pepper stories I had read on Google.

I found a bottle of cayenne liquid extract in my supplement cabinet. I drew up a dropperful of the liquid, closed my eyes and squeezed it onto my bleeding finger, waiting for the burn. Nothing happened. I tried again. It was an epic fail.

Then I thought of using the actual spice, and rummaged around my spice cabinet to find a jar of powdered cayenne pepper.

Mind you, I’m doing this all left-handed because my husband Sam was too freaked out and more in favor of driving me to an urgent care center. But I’m a little doctor-phobic, so instead, I dumped a generous amount of cayenne pepper onto a paper towel.

Here’s where I found my bravery, because as this is happening, I’m noodling this thought, “Who in their right mind would literally pour cayenne pepper onto a painful, oozing cut?”

But after 30 minutes of fussing with it, feeling like I have nothing to lose at this point, I went ahead and did the unthinkable. I dipped it!

It stung, no lie. So for the first 15 seconds, I continued ONLY with the last 2 bullets above. But by second 30, the bleeding had almost completely stopped! I couldn’t believe it.

Cayenne pepper has been studied for its medicinal actions on prostate and breast cancer, multiple myeloma, migraines, psoriasis, neuropathy and more. I’ll share more details if you sign up for my free newsletter at www.SuzyCohen.com.

Note: Peppers are a nightshade, so if you’re allergic to those, please avoid.

In the meantime, start sprinkling cayenne pepper onto your eggs and avocado toast. But keep it in a safe place in case you need it for a minor finger cut.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.