Hot pepper kills prostate cancer cells in study
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) – 16 Mar 2006 00:33:22 GMT – Capsaicin, which makes peppers hot, can cause prostate cancer cells to kill themselves, U.S. and Japanese researchers said on Wednesday. Capsaicin led 80 percent of human prostate cancer cells growing in mice to commit suicide in a process known as apoptosis, the researchers said. Prostate cancer tumors in mice fed capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of tumors in untreated mice, they reported in the journal Cancer Research.“Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture,” said Dr. Soren Lehmann of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine. “It also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumors formed by those human cell lines grown in mouse models.”
While it is far easier to cure cancer in mice infected with human tumors than it is in human beings, the findings suggest a possible future treatment. They also may offer a good excuse for men who like spicy food to eat more of it. Lehmann estimated that the mice ate the human equivalent of 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week. That is about the amount found in three to eight fresh habanero peppers, depending on how hot the peppers are.
The capsaicin inhibited the activity of NF-kappa beta, a molecular mechanism that helps lead to apoptosis in many cell types. Prostate cancer is the most common malignant cancer in U.S. men. It is diagnosed in 232,000 men every year and kills up to 30,000 of them. Worldwide, 221,000 men die every year from prostate cancer.
Here is a quote from a similar article:
I guess they heve never been to HSB
“Since large amounts of capsaicin have never been given to people, we don’t know what the side effects might be,”
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That’s interesting. 🙂 [Comment ID #18263 Quote] That’s funny, your right, I guess they have never been to HSB.
And to think, I always thought that “Ring of Fire” in the morning was just undigested capsaicin, and I come to find out it is cellular combat. Hmmm, does that mean the flatulence in the morning is nothing more than a microbial fuel-air bomb, intended to dessimate the opposing cancer cells reinforced bunker? Man, talk about an eye-opener, Cripes, they might as well call it “Farticus”. I need a beer, Happy St. Patty’s Day to you all…..T minus “a little while longer” until ZERO hour. And yes, you’ll have plenty of time to party tonight without the worry of THE e-mail coming, trust me….
Too funny Creator, if the gas is a Farticus air bomb thingy, then I be cancer free lemme tell you. 🙂
[Comment ID #18268 Quote]
Hey Creator, Now that this news is out. I guess the price of Defcon stock just went through the roof. ha ha 🙂
pmac, you may want to hold on to that 16 million…lol
Hell, the 16 million reserve would rival the Doomday Bomb in Dr. Strangelove, albeit on a microbial scale.
Very interesting!!!
“Lehmann estimated that the mice ate the human equivalent of 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week. That is about the amount found in three to eight fresh habanero peppers, depending on how hot the peppers are.”
So who is up for a habanero eating contest?
>>>”T minus “a little while longer” until ZERO hour”
NICE……
[Comment ID #18273 Quote]
I got that beat. I eat way more habbies than that a week.
[Comment ID #18278 Quote]
Then you are the MAN! I’ve eaten a fresh hab in a single bite once. It was one I grew myself and man what a bite it had!!
I don’t do many “straight”. I love to cut them up on a nice grilled chicken sandwich, or one of my favorites – a cracker with cheese and two slices of Habanero’s on it. I definitely need to make sure I’ve got some bread with it. I can handle the heat in the mouth (after a few minutes of torturous pain that is), but if it hits my belly on an empty stomach – then look out!
Hey huvason,
I thought of another way to keep your hot sauce buying “under wraps”.
just have it sent to me 🙂
Chris…. It’s not the sauce that’s the problem. It’s PAYING for it. How about I get the sauce and you pay 🙂
Then there are no problems with my wife LOL
Eating Habs on an empty stomach is great! Not only do you scare your pets by the noises your stomach is making, you can look forward to the prostate cancer cells entering mortal combat, and the ensuing MOAB that will be deployed shortly thereafter.
One of the things I heard with this cancer killing effect report was that eating TOO many hot peppers could lead to stomach cancer. That came from the radio the day after this TV show as an entertainment blurb about the power of the pepper.
[Comment ID #18290 Quote]
My stomach does ALL sorts of bad things, weird sounds, etc. when I do that. Not good 🙂
[Comment ID #18288 Quote]
Hmmmmm. I dont like this idea. I like my suggestion better…lol
eman, let me know how the liitle guy slept last night 🙂
did the fighting end?
huvason didn’t you say you were looking for a 16million? or did you end up getting one. I am open to trades if you are interested.
[Comment ID #18281 Quote]
That sounds pretty good I’ll have to try those
My worst experience was cutting up about 15 scotch bonnets finely and dropping them into vodka for a few weeks. It instantly emptied my stomach when I had a shot and I haven’t met anyone yet who will have a 2nd shot. THe vodkas gone a pale yellow colour
[Comment ID #18298 Quote]
Matt. Is that what you guys do accroos the pond for fun 🙂 Silly thing is – I would try that!
Didn’t Blair’s website state that Vodka is the only think that completely neutralizes the Capsicum? Perhaps it causes a chemical reaction to both causing a mild toxin, that may be why you barfed 🙂 ?
TOTALLY SPECULATION i have no idea if the vodke thing is even true as I have never even tried it.
[Comment ID #18296 Quote]
Haven’t gotten one yet pman. Not sure ehat I got to trade you. I’m going to shoot you an email in a bit anyway.
But the weird sounds and stuff are the best part, my wife runs away for a while, and I can enjoy the silence (just kidding).
As for peppers causing stomach cancer, considering your stomach is an acid bag holding hydrochloric acid, I don’t see a couple crystals of capsaicin doing very much. People still think hot foods causes or even aggravates ulcers, which is wishful thinking at best. I doubt something with a Ph of 3+ is going to adversly affect a Ph of 2-. The ulcers are aggravated by the psyche of the individual, whose apprehension releases abnormal amounts of acid in the stomach. They stated saccharin caused cancer in the 80’s. It might, but the news conveniently left out the fact that the amount the mice were given to eat was proportionate to a human consuming approx. 40 pounds a day for 300 years. Hell, if saccharin will increase your life by 200 or so years, give me 40 pounds a day! For centuries capsaicin has been used for numerous medicinal purposes, and still is. If the theorists want to say peppers cause cancer, let them, I will continue to eat them, and will leave the crop circles, alien abductions and cattle mutilations by black ops helicopters to the theorists.
It is ALWAYS interesting to read your posts Creator.
[Comment ID #18299 Quote]
Yeah I did it for a bit of fun and I can’t say I’ve ever run so quick to the toilet. I got horrible pains in my stomach. After that I never belived that vodka neutralises capsicum
I asked this question over on thehotpepper once, and the Creator responded with some useful info. He said that the capsaicin goes into solution with the vodka, that it does not neutralize it. I guess if you were to spit the vodka out,, some of the capsaicin would leave with the vodka. If you swallowed, it would just go down with the vodka – in solution – NOT neutralized.
Hopefully the creator will see this. He knows a bunch about this.
Good morning all..
I have had pepper vodka which is pretty much the same thing that you had.. but it seems a bit weird that it did that to you. maybe it was the chopping up of the peppers.. who knows..
After reading a post from Creator.. I feels as though I should be in class not at work.. hehe..
[Comment ID #18273 Quote]
Im upto 9 orange habs you got anything on me?
[Comment ID #18309 Quote]
Tha sounds like a sensible explaination because it definately was not neutralised!!
[Comment ID #18311 Quote]
It sounds like the stuff I have to hear about in uni etc all year long. I wish we did use capsaicin or something similar to do testing with though – It’d be much more interesting then
The vodka indeed puts the capsaicin into solution. It a way it DOES neutralize it, as the capsaicin, being dissolved into solution is much less effective in its inherantly ‘virtual caustic’ ways, and if you were to spit it out, after swishing it around your mouth for a while, you would deifinitely feel a decrease in the heat. Plain white sugar in fact helps as well, as there is a virtual atomic bond between capsaicin and sugar (most if not all peppers are 60%+ sugar). If your mouth is on fire, rip open a standard packet of table sugar, dump it into your piehole, and let it dissolve in your mouth. The capsaicin finds its way to the base of your tastebuds (they resemble stalks), and it hangs out there, making you happy. If the capsaicin sees his buddy sugar roaming around, he will jump from the base of your tastebud and cling to the sugar. I think perhaps the reasoning why Matt had a gastronomic meltdown was the amount of peppers being used. 15 Bonnies in a fifth is an extreme amount, and the infusion of capsaicin into the liquor would be substantial. I think it might have been an involuntary muscle spasm due to heat than anything else, which isn’t uncommon, hence the hiccups.
[Comment ID #18313 Quote]
9 habs? No Daniel, my tolerances are not on par with yours be any stretch. I can only imagine the results if I attempted such a feat. Your level is quite impressive! Do you have any side effects from this, excepting the natural high?
Daniel you didnt have 9!
i challenge you!!!
Meatloaf next friday. 9!
9 at once! That is Quite a feat.
I’ll do 11! just have a large bowl of yogurt standing by 😛
Dang anyone that eats that many habs is just asking for it! I would like to see a video cause that would be great
Happy Stt. Patrick’s day! We’re just in from the parade! It’s still going on 7 hrs is a long time for Parade watching. I need a beer
Like you haven’t had any already 🙂
Well I bid you well for a bit as I leave my place of employment for the long ride home. Hopefully THE email can wait for the slightest bit longer.. hehe..
Take it easy all..
I wonder if they will do anything with this research by way of a new medicine to help fight cancer. Leave it to the habanero, death to all prostate cancer cells!!!!
My favorite is to julienne a red hab, throw it into a frying pan with a little cold olive oil and warm, to crisp the slices up a little. After 5 minutes or so, drop in 3 eggs and cook them Over Medium. Flip them over onto a plate and stare an afternoon of pain in the face with a fork in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. The oil spreads the heat into everything when cooked slow – so beware.
Another easy way to harness the habanero is to just heat cold oil with a few habs in it for a few minutes. Don’t deep fry them. Just warm the oil to about 250 degrees, hold it for about 5 minutes, and let cool. Remove the chiles so you dont grow botulism spores, and put the oil in a clearly marked bottle. Remember to mark it – you don’t want to mix this up with one that you make normal food with for you kids or non-fireating wife.
hey everyone
I’ve been in a workshop today in the cancer research centre in cardiff university UK. I didnt see any capsaicin there
typical!! I was hoping to get in on the action next year
[Comment ID #18374 Quote]
I agree! Make a video!
capsaicin is supposed to kill the stomach bacteria that cause ulcers don’t know if that is a good trade re cancer [ if it true that it might cause cancer ]
But I am interested in anything that might kill [ yes kill the damn things ] the cancer cells. I hear that sugar and iron are fuel for cancer cells and that Vit D3 [ the real one ] and Iodine fight them.
It is said that Artemisia targets [bombs ] the iron in cancer cells.