Spicy Foods Relieve Pain And Fight Cancer Cells
Author: Ivan Red Jr.
Time for reading: ~2
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Capsaicin contained in spicy foods has an anesthetic effect and causes the natural cell death of tumor cells
Spicy foods can kill cancer cells. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Nottingham, who studied the mechanism by which spicy foods affect tumor cells.
Researchers explain the healing properties of spicy foods with the high concentration of the chemical capsaicin in hot peppers. The substance acts on the mitochondria of tumor cells, thus causing their cell death and slowing or stopping the growth of cancer.
Studies by university researchers show that capsaicin binds to proteins in the mitochondria of tumor cells and causes apoptosis (cell death). The researchers emphasize that this process causes cell death only in tumor cells without damaging the surrounding healthy cells. The reason for this is that the biochemistry of the mitochondria of tumor cells differs drastically from that of healthy somatic cells. This is what echuns call the natural selective vulnerability of tumor cells. Experimental tests were performed with cell samples of pancreatic and lung rock.
The study's lead author, Dr. Timothy Bates, explained that capsaicin attacked the nucleus of tumor cells and slowed their growth. It reassures that the dose of capsaicin that causes apoptosis of cancer cells is completely safe for healthy people and does not affect their life cycle. Proof of the safety of capsaicin is the fact that it is found in many plants
Dr. Bates reminds that eating large amounts of hot peppers and spicy foods does not mean preventing cancer. He claims that hot pepper extract causes apoptosis of cancer cells in the laboratory, but its effectiveness in humans has not yet been proven.
Research in this area is expected to continue. It is possible in the future to develop drugs to fight cancer, which are synthesized on the basis of capsaicin.
In addition to fighting tumor cells, capsaicin gives remarkable results as a local anesthetic. Researchers at Harvard University came to this conclusion after combining an inactive derivative of a local anesthetic called QX314 with an extract isolated from hot peppers. Studies show that capaiscin acts on the nerve fibers that conduct the sensation of pain.
Thus, QX314 is allowed only in these neurons and suppresses their activity, explains Clifford Wolfe. In general, QX314 blocks all neurons - not only those for pain, but also those for touch, which causes numbness in the area. The motor activity of muscles innervated by closely spaced neurons is also affected to some extent. To avoid this, scientists have inactivated QX314 and have found a convenient way to bring it into this state only in some neurons.
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