- The active ingredient that gives chillies their kick, Capsaicin, is said to surround cancer cells and kill them off, scientists say
- Capsaicin also has the potential to be effective against other deadly forms of cancer, including colon, pancreatic and bone
- Research believe the discovery could help form the basis of a possible cure, although only in the form of a pill – not when simply ingested
James Draper
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They say you are what you eat. And, according to experts, that’s partially true when it comes to chilli peppers.
Mainly because the active ingredient which comprises their trademark fiery taste can help battle cancer cells.
According to experts from Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany, the tongue-tingling component can switch on special defenses in cell membranes surrounding cancerous growths, causing them to self-destruct.
Healthy: The active ingredient that gives chillies their kick, Capsaicin, is said to surround cancer cells and kill them off, scientists say
Dr Lea Weber, who headed the study, explained the findings in the journal Breast Cancer – Targets and Therapy.
“Capsaicin is capable of inducing cell death and inhibiting cancer cell growth in many different types of cancer, for example, osteosarcoma, colon, and pancreatic cancer cells, while normal cells remained unharmed.”
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Specifically, it triggers a cell receptor called TRPV1 which controls which substances the cancerous growth can feed on.
As it fights to battle this, the growth eventually self-destructs. As more and more cancer cells die, the tumour is stopped from growing larger.
However, the key ingredient isn’t effective if eaten – only when formulated into an oral tablet and combined with other drugs that targets cancer cells.
Stopping deadly growths? Capsaicin also has the potential to be effective against other deadly forms of cancer, including colon, pancreatic and bone
Hard to swallow: However, the key ingredient isn’t effective if eaten – only when formulated into an oral tablet and combined with other drugs that targets cancer cells
Dr Weber said: “In this study, we aimed to identify the TRP channels in different breast cancer subtypes and to investigate the effect of TRPV1 ligand [capsaicin] on breast cancer progression.
“To our knowledge, no studies have yet conducted a large-scale comparative study of the TRP channels expression profiles in breast cancer cell lines.
“In our experiments, a significant reduction in cell proliferation after capsaicin stimulation was observed.
“This finding was in accordance with the results of other scientists, who demonstrated a significant decrease in the cell growth rate of MCF-7 breast cancer cells upon capsaicin stimulation.”
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