By Lindsey Garner, MD Anderson Staff Writer
Spices have been used for centuries as a preserving agent and to add flavor and color to food. Now, spices are emerging as a possible therapy to prevent and treat diseases -- even cancer.
Chile pepper, a customary spice used in Texas and the southwest, has shown anti-cancer effects in research with mice. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chile pepper and the source of its heat, is the cancer-fighting element.
Capsaicin is also thought to:
Spices have been used for centuries as a preserving agent and to add flavor and color to food. Now, spices are emerging as a possible therapy to prevent and treat diseases -- even cancer.Chile pepper, a customary spice used in Texas and the southwest, has shown anti-cancer effects in research with mice. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chile pepper and the source of its heat, is the cancer-fighting element.
Capsaicin is also thought to:
- Boost metabolism
- Lower the risk of ulcers
- Improve heart health
- Relieve muscle pain and itchiness
Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics, has spent more than 20 years researching spices at MD Anderson.
Led by Aggarwal, research using capsaicin nutraceuticals (supplements) in mice resulted in suppressing and blocking pro-inflammatory pathways in cancer cells.
"Inflammation has turned out to be a common denominator," Aggarwal says. "Symptoms common in cancer patients, such as depression, fatigue, neuropathic pain, metastases and tumor growth, are due to inflammation. By using capsaicin, we can inhibit these things."
Continue reading Chile Pepper: Cancer Can't Stand the Heat.
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