Capsaicin is the ingredient responsible for the fiery sensation after eating chilli
New research found it helped to inhibit the growth of aggressive breast tumours
Currently chemotherapy is the only option for triple-negative breast cancer
And experts warn it is unlikely just eating lots of spice could combat the disease
Having a chicken vindaloo curry could help to fight breast cancer, new research suggests.
An active ingredient of pungent substances, such as chilli and pepper, inhibits the growth of tumours, scientists found.
Capsaicin – responsible for the fiery sensation after consumption – also caused triple-negative cells to die in their masses.
Currently chemotherapy is the only treatment option for the most aggressive form of breast cancer.
And experts warn that it is unlikely just eating lots of spice alone could help to combat the disease.
An active ingredient of pungent substances found in spicy curries inhibits the growth of tumours, scientists found
Researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany, carried out tests on cell cultures designed to replicate triple-negative breast cancer.
Capsaicin was added to them for a period of several hours each day.
They discovered it caused an array of responses, including activating a receptor linked to the disease.
The existence of the Transient Receptor Potential Channels (TRPV1) was found in nine different samples from patients with breast cancer.
As a result, the cancerous cells divided more slowly, the findings published in the journal Breast Cancer – Targets and Therapy found.
It also allowed them to die in larger numbers, preventing the surviving cells to move as quickly – impairing their ability to spread around the body.
Capsaicin – responsible for the fiery sensation after consumption – also caused triple-negative cells to die in their masses
Lead author Professor Hanns Hatt said: ‘If we could switch on the TRPV1 receptor with specific drugs, this might constitute a new treatment approach for this type of cancer.’
Capsaicin is known to provide temporarily relief of muscle or joint pain caused by strains, arthritis and bruising.
While previous research has also found it can help to kill other forms of cancer.
The compound was discovered by scientists, from the Indian Institute of Technology, to bind to cells’ membranes – the protective outer shell.
But in high enough doses, it helped to pull the membrane apart, triggering cancerous cells to ‘commit suicide’.
And in 2014, French physiologists found that men with a taste for spicy foods tend to have higher levels of testosterone.
They believed their findings were linked to well documented evidence that chilli peppers can increase levels of the hormones in rats.
Believe that by eating hot curries, men may also be boosting their hormone levels as chili peppers have been shown to increase testosterone levels in rats.
Other studies have found that the chemical arvanil – with a chemical make-up similar to that of the capsaicin – was effective against brain tumours in mice.
However, because of its side effects, the substance is not approved for humans.
Source: Daily Mail
