Capsaicin comes in two forms – natural, which is made from hot peppers, and synthetic, which is produced in a laboratory. The efficacy of the two forms appears to be identical.

Animal Deterrent

Capsaicin can also be used to deter animals, but not birds or insects. Adding cayenne pepper to bird feeders is a home remedy that will keep squirrels from eating bird food. Birds are totally unaffected but squirrels will only try it once.

Capsaicin can be incorporated into many plastics as a repellent. The capsaicin will deter rodents such as mice, rats, and beavers from chewing on plastic materials. Synthetic capsaicin is a good choice as an animal deterrent.

Law Enforcement

Other uses include pepper sprays for personal protection and law enforcement, and as a non-lethal weapon. It is used as both a pepper spray and in a compressed air system which fires a capsaicin filled projectile, similar to paintball guns. The synthetic form is most often used for this application.

Topical Uses

Capsaicin is used as topically for the relief of shingles, psoriasis, and other skin disorders, and as an arthritis treatment. There are a great many companies dedicated to manufacturing ointments and creams for this purpose. Skin patches and wraps are another delivery system for capsaicin. For these applications, nonivamide is an excellent choice for its efficacy and relatively low cost.

Disease Treatment

Studies have shown that capsaicin may be effective treatment for prostate cancer. Interestingly, Thailand, where spicy hot food is eaten frequently, has a low incidence of stomach and colorectal cancer when compared to other Asian cultures where spicy food is generally not eaten. The same appears to be true in Mexico when compared to the USA. Capsaicin may also prove to be effective as a treatment for diabetes. Studies continue to discover new medical uses for capsaicin.

Spicy foods

Natural capsaicin may be added to foods to make them spicy. A small amount goes a long way and it may be more cost effective than using hot peppers.

Choosing between Natural and Synthetic

How does one decide between the natural and synthetic forms? If it is going to be ingested, it’s best to stick to the natural form. If it is going to be used as a deterrent, than the synthetic form is the better choice, primarily because of cost. The natural product is subject to vagaries of weather and growing conditions, and as a result, costs 4-5 times as much as the synthetic form.