The capsaicin in chili peppers may not only make food spicy and burn your tongue, according to the results of a study published in the journal Journal of Clinical Investigation. It would be excellent for fighting prostate cancer.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that this compound of chilli pepper, by activating a receptor on the cells that line the intestine, triggers a protective reaction against the risk of colorectal tumors. This substance would be able to kill certain cancer cells. Injection of capsaicin into prostate cancer cells in mice led to their apoptosis (the death of cancer cells but not healthy cells). 80% of prostate cancer cells carried by rodents have been destroyed. It also made it possible to extend the lifespan of the mice by more than 30%.
“Capsaicin had a profound antiproliferative effect on human cell cultures of Prostate cancer ”, Underlined one of the researchers who participated in the study.
“But this treatment is even more effective when combined with celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug already approved for the treatment of certain forms of arthritis and the management of pain” explains Dr. Eyal Raz, professor. of medicine, co-author of the study.
Chili, a healthy food
This new health virtue is added to the already interesting list of the interests of the chilli pepper. Indeed, thanks to capsaicin, chili is a very effective anti-inflammatory. Thanks to its analgesic effect, it would alleviate joint pain (arhtrosis …) as well as certain muscle pains. It also has the ability to lower cholesterol levels and boost heart health. This alkaloid which also increases energy expenditure would also be an ally for to lose weight. The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.
Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer of all sexes, behind lung cancer. And with 42,152 new cases estimated in 2012 in France, 55% of which in humans, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after prostate cancer (56,841 new cases) and breast cancer (48,763 ).