Spicy food could help tackle cancer, new tests show

New research suggests an active component in chili peppers could slow the spread of cancer
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The compound that gives a spicy kick to chilies could help slow the spread of cancer, a new study has revealed.

Capsaicin, the component responsible for peppers’ fiery heat, was found to slow metastasis in lung cancer patients. Metastasis is where cancer cells develop beyond the main tumour, spreading the disease to other parts of the body and making it tougher to treat.

Researchers at Marshall University in the US ran tests on three types of human cancer cells.

They found that capsaicin inhibited the first step of the metastatic process in each.

Further tests on mice with metastatic cancer, showed smaller areas of aggressive cancer cells in the lungs of mice that had consumed capsaicin.

Additional experiments revealed capsaicin’s ability to block a key protein that contributes to metastasis by encouraging cell growth.

Jamie Friedman, a student who led the study, said: “We hope that one day capsaicin can be used in combination with other chemotherapeutics to treat a variety of lung cancers.

“However, using capsaicin clinically will require overcoming its unpleasant side effects, which include gastrointestinal irritation, stomach cramps and a burning sensation.”

Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the UK, leading to 35,500 deaths each year. Only 10 per cent of people diagnosed with the disease will survive for five years or more, according to figures released by Cancer Research UK.

Previous studies have highlighted separate cancer-fighting properties of capsaicin, suggesting the compound can help control noxious substances reaching the cancerous cell and even attack the cell’s powerhouse, the mitochondria.

However, health chiefs warn that spicy food alone should not be considered a reliable treatment for the disease.

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