Hot peppers - How they can aid in bettering your health
Researchers announced yesterday that hot peppers have multiple
health benefits -- including the ability to drive prostate cancer cells to
kill themselves, researchers announced yesterday.
According to a team of researchers from the Comprehensive
Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in collaboration with fellow
researchers from the University of California, the hot stuff in peppers --
capsaicin -- caused 80 percent of active prostate cancer cells growing in mice
to "follow the molecular pathways leading to apoptosis," or cell
death.
The cancer cells literally committed suicide. What's
more, the cancer tumors of the mice treated with a hot pepper extract were
one-fifth the size of untreated mice.
"Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect
on human prostate cancer cells in culture," said Dr. Soren Lehmann. "It
also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumors formed by those
human cell lines grown in mouse models."
The hotter the pepper, the more the benefit. According to Dr. Lehmann,
the mice were fed a dose of pepper extract equivalent to what a normal man
might consume -- 400 milligrams of extract three times a week. That amount
translates to 3-8 fresh habanero peppers. Habeneros are the highest rated pepper
for capsaicin content according to the Scoville Heat Index, they contain up
to 300,000 Scoville units. The more popular jalapeño variety only contains
2,500 to 5000 Scoville units.
Capsaicin inhibited the action of NF-kappa Beta, a substance
found in cells that causes them to grow out of control. Capsaicin also regulates
certain proteins that effect the growth of the cells. "Increased
concentrations of capsaicin caused more prostate cancer cells to freeze in
a non-proliferate state," according to the study.
Hot peppers also have antioxidant effects. Anti-inflammatory
properties in peppers are useful in the treatment of migraines, arthritis and
muscle pain. Hot peppers also have been found to suppress appetites.
They are a good source of vitamins A, C and E, folic
acid and potassium. Peppers are low in calories and sodium and contain no carbohydrates.
This study suggests that hot peppers deserve inclusion in a cancer
fighting diet.
