UK scientists report that capsaicin, the chemical that burns your mouth when you eat hot peppers, can kill cancer cells with little or no harmful side effects.
Researchers say capsaicin can kill cancer cells with no harm to surrounding tissue.
The researchers believe that capsaicin and other similar compounds attack the mitochondria of cancerous cells, causing them to "switch off" and die (apoptosis, or cell death) without harming surrounding tissue. They say the discovery might explain the low incidence of cancer in countries where people eat a lot of chillies like Mexico and India.
The researchers note the discovery is exciting for two reasons. First, since capsaicin and related compounds already exist in food that is eaten regularly, they are already safe and readily available. Second, these compounds have already been approved for use in a range of drugs such as skin ointments to treat psoriasis and neuralgia. Converting their use to treat cancer would be much cheaper and quicker compared to starting from scratch with a new compound.
Source: Medical News Today, Jan 10, 2007
