Posted on 03/17/2006 11:05:19 PM PST by MRMEAN
The ingredient which makes jalapeno peppers hot also makes prostate cancer cells commit suicide, a study suggests.
Tests showed that capsaicin triggered 80% of the cells to start the process leading to cell death.
The US research in the journal Cancer Research also found tumours treated with capsaicin were smaller.
UK prostate experts say capsaicin could be the basis of a future drug but warned eating too many hot peppers has been linked to stomach cancer.
We caution men with prostate cancer in the UK against upping their weekly intake of the hottest known chillies Chris Hiley, The Prostate Cancer Charity
In the study, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center studied mice who had been genetically modified to have human prostate cancer cells.
They were given a dose of pepper extract equivalent to a man of 200 pounds (90.7kg) taking 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week.
That would be the same as having between three and eight fresh habanero peppers - the highest rated peppers for capsaicin content.
Normal cells go through a constant process where millions die every second - a process called apoptosis - while millions more are made, to keep the numbers the same.
But cancer cells avoid that process and "dodge" apoptosis by mutating or deregulating the genes that participate in programmed cell suicide.
Capsaicin was seen to increase the amount of certain proteins involved in the apoptosis process.
Capsaicin also reduced the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein whch is often produced in high quantities by prostate tumours.
Fish intake
Dr Soren Lehmann, who led the study, said: "Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture.
"It also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumours."
Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: "This is interesting laboratory-based work on cells but we don't yet know how, if at all, it might help men with prostate cancer.
"Eventually, it may be possible to extract the capsaicin and make it available as a drug treatment.
"In the meantime we caution men with prostate cancer in the UK against upping their weekly intake of the hottest known chillies - high intake of hot chillies has been linked with stomach cancers in the populations of India and Mexico.
"For now, if men with prostate cancer want to improve their diet they should avoid fatty foods, eat less red and processed meat, increase their fish intake and enjoy a wide and plentiful range of fruit and vegetables every day."
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/4805190.stm
Published: 2006/03/15 06:00:12 GMT
Was at a sports bar watching March Madness today. The Korean owner found out I loved Korean food and brought out about a pound of kimchee for me to 'snack' on.
Johnny Cash would be proud. 'Ring of Fire' does not begin to describe what is happening to me right now.
The hoop is HURTING.
If spice doesn't kill cancer, I'd be shocked.
I recall reading a western many years ago..
A cowboy's bullet wound was treated ( after the bullet was removed ) by grating the skin off a chili pepper and inserting it into the wound as an antiseptic..
Luckily, it caused him to pass out from the pain..
Because the next step was to cauterize the wound with a red hot poker..
Never heard that one before.
I really like horseradish too, but as far as I know, it doesn't contain the same capsaican ingredient that peppers do..
I understand real Wassabe is also very "hot" like horseradish, but with it's own unique taste.. also no capsaican in it either..
Fresh horseradish will clear out the sinuses very well, and reduce allergies for some time..
It would if that's where the prostate was at, but it's not..
The prostate is very close by, though...
I'll leave it up to you to find out where it is, and see it you wish to stick chili peppers up there..
That's funny:)
See also http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2005_04.htm#brcc
"At the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held April 16 to 20 in Anaheim, California, Sanjay K Srivastava of the University of Pittsburgh reported that capsaicin from red chilies and a compound derived from broccoli have an anticancer action in vitro.
Dr Srivastava's team treated human pancreatic cancer cells with capsaicin, an ingredient in chilies that has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. They discovered that capsaicin disrupted the mitochondrial function of the cancerous cells which led to apoptosis (programmed cell death), while not affecting healthy cells. In a second study, the team tested the effects of phenethyl isothiocyanate, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, on ovarian cancer cells. After twenty-four hours of exposure to isothiocyanate, the cancerous cells exhibited a reduction in the protein expression of epidermal growth factor, which is crucial for their growth. Isothiocyanate also inhibited Akt, which protects cancer cells from apoptosis. The amount of isothiocyanate used in the study could reasonably be obtained by adding cruciferous vegetables to the diet.
Dr Srivastava, who is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine's department of pharmacology, noted, "In our studies, we decided to look at two particular cancers – ovarian and pancreatic – with low survival rates, to ascertain the contribution of diet and nutrition to the development of these cancers. We discovered that red chili pepper and broccoli appear to be effective inhibitors of the cancer process. The contribution of diet and nutrition to cancer risk, prevention and treatment has been a major focus of research in recent years because certain nutrients in vegetables and dietary agents appear to protect the body against diseases such as cancer."
—D Dye
April 18, 2005"
I've heard that people that injest spicy foods don't get as many colds and the like--do you find that to be true?
"Pepper 'kills prostate cancer'"
And might make a certain sexual act a cullinary delight for the ladies...
Just in the last couple of months we find studies have proven that HDL and LDL don't clog the arteries, but histamine does, that eggs are good for you, that sugar doesn't hurt you, meat is good for you, and many others that have been drilled into us for decades are proven false. This maybe another.
I mistook a habanero for a "cherry pepper" a few years ago. My air pipe felt like it was swelling shut, thought I was going to die. Anyone that eats a habanero pepper by itself is a damned fool.
Uh, the "Burning Nuts" might have been more appropriate (-:
I have an ex-brother-in-law that swears it is true..
I tend to believe that it increases resistance to colds and flu at the least, and will help lessen the effects if you get one..
It's no cure however, and will not make you immune..
I usually insert a jalapeno as a suppository each morning. I don't know if it helps my prostate but I sure have a lot of pep and cover a lot of territory.
LOL!!!
Great Words, Dram. Evidence of a Great Mind.
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