SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic

Posted: May 10 2009 09:35 am

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6244715.stm

BBC News wrote:

How spicy foods can kill cancers
Scientists have discovered the key to the ability of spicy foods to kill cancer cells.

They found capsaicin, an ingredient of jalapeno peppers, triggers cancer cell death by attacking mitochondria - the cells' energy-generating boiler rooms.

The research raises the possibility that other cancer drugs could be developed to target mitochondria.

The Nottingham University study features in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

The study showed that the family of molecules to which capsaicin belongs, the vanilloids, bind to proteins in the cancer cell mitochondria to trigger apoptosis, or cell death, without harming surrounding healthy cells.

“ We believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental 'Achilles heel' for all cancers ”
Dr Timothy Bates

Capsaicin was tested on cultures of human lung cancer cells and on pancreatic cancers.

Lead researcher Dr Timothy Bates said: "As these compounds attack the very heart of the tumour cells, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental 'Achilles heel' for all cancers.

"The biochemistry of the mitochondria in cancer cells is very different from that in normal cells.

"This is an innate selective vulnerability of cancer cells."

He said a dose of capsaicin that could cause a cancer cell to enter apoptosis, would not have the same effect on a normal cell.

“ Cancer Research UK recommends reducing your risk of cancer by eating a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables and fruit ”
Josephine Querido

Potential Drugs

The fact that capsaicin and other vanilloids are already commonly found in the diet proves they are safe to eat.

This could make development of a drug containing them a much quicker and cheaper process.

Dr Bates said: "Capsaicin, for example, is already found in treatments for muscle strain and psoriasis - which raises the question of whether an adapted topical treatment could be used to treat certain types of skin cancer.

"It's also possible that cancer patients or those at risk of developing cancer could be advised to eat a diet which is richer in spicy foods to help treat or prevent the disease."

However, Josephine Querido, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "This research does not suggest that eating vast quantities of chilli pepper will help prevent or treat cancer.

"The experiments showed that pepper extracts killed cancer cells grown in the laboratory, but these have not yet been tested to see if they are safe and effective in humans."

Cancer Research UK recommends reducing the risk of cancer by eating a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables and fruit.

Dr Bates added that the mitochondria in cancer cells could also be targeted by other compounds.

He said the investigation and development of anti-mitochondrial drugs for cancer chemotherapy was likely to be "extremely significant" in the fight against cancer.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

This is fucking awesome... but doesn't it feel like they could have come to this conclusion much earlier?

Is it a lack of funding that made people not figure this out?

I mean... at this point why not have a lab that just takes every food known to man and mix it with cancer. If the cancer dies, wahoo! Potential cure.

Still... I am happy to hear that they might be able to help cure such a nasty health problem.

Posted: May 10 2009 05:14 pm

That is good to know. At least something that I eat has a health benefit. I literally put ground habanero peppers on virtually everything I eat. It makes everything taste better to me. I even put it in my chocolate syrup when I eat ice cream. I know that last part sounds strange, but the heat from the peppers combined with the cold of the ice cream is really enjoyable to me. Plus the ground habaneros have a naturally sweet flavor that doesn't hurt the taste.

Posted: May 10 2009 07:42 pm

Sounds good, I love eating jalapenos. I put them on sandwiches, frozen pizzas and so on.

Posted: May 10 2009 08:01 pm

Good to see some progress, good thing I enjoy peppers....

Posted: May 10 2009 09:54 pm

I likea the pepper

Posted: May 10 2009 10:06 pm

I love all kinds of spicy foods and jalapenos are my favorite pepper. I once made these awesome steak quesadillas and loaded them up with jalapenos. I'll even eat raw jalapeno peppers on occasion but I prefer the sliced and pickled kind to put on other foods.

Posted: May 10 2009 11:41 pm

I eat jalapeno poppers and just plain jalapenos all the time. Good to see I'm gaining cancer resistance in the process.

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

Even more reason for me to drink tabasco straight from the bottle.

Posted: May 11 2009 12:51 am

Cattivo wrote:

Even more reason for me to drink tabasco straight from the bottle.

Dude, you do that too? So i'm not alone!

Title: Titlating Joined: Dec 17 2007 Posts: 5042

Tabasco is the best lube

Posted: May 11 2009 07:18 pm

Chili sauce is great for when you're sick! Burn those bastard tonsils down!

Posted: May 11 2009 07:47 pm

Nothing makes me happier than some carne asada tacos, loaded with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, rice, and LOADED with jalapenos.

Well, except maybe sex, but tacos are right up there, and jalapenos would be kind of a weird thing to introduce into the bedroom, unless she's really open-minded.

Regardless, good to know that while I'm clogging my arteries with my culinary concoction, I'm at least killing cancer in the process.

Dammit, I want tacos now. Sad

Joined: Aug 26 2007 Posts: 2752

first thought:

"we can cure the cancer by burning the butt!"

It's a good thing i like peppers.

Posted: May 12 2009 12:21 am

I am a BIG fan of spicy food, and am glad to see so many people from this board support the cause haha.

Banned Joined: Sep 13 2008 Posts: 3129

Sweet, I love spicy food.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

hacker wrote:

Sweet, I love spicy food.

I hear that eating dog shit cures and prevents cancer as well as increases the size of your penis by 3 inches.

Posted: May 12 2009 01:19 pm

GPFontaine wrote:

hacker wrote:

Sweet, I love spicy food.

I hear that eating dog shit cures and prevents cancer as well as increases the size of your penis by 3 inches.

So THAT'S why my one dog is so healthy...and hung. Shocked