Hot Pepper Kills Prostate Cancer

brian0918 writes "U.S. and Japanese researchers have announced results of a study showing that capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, can cause prostate cancer cells to kill themselves. 'Capsaicin led 80 percent of human prostate cancer cells growing in mice to commit suicide in a process known as apoptosis, the researchers said.' This led to tumors one fifth the size of those in untreated mice."

Comments

Quick Google Scholar Search

[FreemanPatrickHenry]

Hmm, a quick Google Scholar search for "capsaicin cancer" revealed this. That link, from NIH, seems to indicate that there's evidence that capsaicin is a carconigen:

The cancer increase was dependent on the concentration of these groups in a county. These results strengthen and extend an earlier case-control study which found odds ratios above 5 for the stomach cancer association with capsaicin pepper. It is further evidence that capsaicin is a human carcinogen.

Thoughts?

Re:Three to eight...

[modecx]

This is true, but it's not like there is one type of receptor on any given neuron. Capsaicin works on a very specific type of receptor that also responds to acids and temperature (hence the link to the burning feeling). In our mouths, at least, there's a receptor for every sensation, bitter (alkali, sour (acids), sweet (I remember reading that there's a specific receptor for many kinds of different sugars), salty (ummm, salts), and hot/cold.

I'm not a doctor or a biologist, but personally, I just don't feel a whole lot of anything in my stomach. You're right, that dosen't mean that capsaicin dosen't have some kind of effect, in fact, I've read that it can stimulate peristalsis in the GI tract and cause the parasympathetic nervous system to release a neurotransmitter which is responsible for lowering blood pressure and later release of endorphines. So, maybe it actually helps with good digestion and lowering blood pressure a bit, it could do much more for all I know... And all of that would indicate that there are at least a few compatible receptors in the stomach/GI tract, like you say. I didn't say there weren't. I've said time and again you couldn't feel it in your stomach, directly.

I was just saying that there's no real evidence that capsaicin does any harm in the stomach, like so many people think. They think eating peppers in quantity is analogous to drinking battery acid. Even the AC that responded to me thinking he knows what goes on was misinformed. So what if it causes more acid, if it does at all? The stomach deals with some nasty ass acid all the time, a little or a lot more won't cause a problem in the stomach, even with weakened mucous lining. Oh, sure, a lot more than normal isn't good for the esophagus, but it's not built to deal with it. It's been proven that almost all stomach ulcers are caused either by bacteria that build a small basic environment in which they can thrive, or by cancer! Acid dosen't hurt a healthy stomach.