Do you want to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer? Chili peppers may be the answer. New research from Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany shows that a compound in chili peppers may fight breast cancer.
Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in American women. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 1 in every 8 women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.
The ACS also reports that this year, there will be 246,660 new diagnosed cases of invasive breast cancer, and that about 40,450 women will die from breast cancer.
Capsaicin, which is an ingredient found in spicy foods like chili or pepper inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells.
The new research experiment used SUM149PT cell culture, which is a model for aggressive breast cancer. At the moment, chemotherapy is the only treatment for this type of cancer.
During the study, the researchers found a number of receptors. One of the ones they found was called Transient Receptor Potential Channels, and is nicknamed TRPV1. This receptor is activated by capsaicin.
The research team confirmed the existence of TRPV1 in different breast cancer tumor cells.
The researchers then experimented by introducing capsaicin into the TRPV1 receptors found in the tumor cells. As a result, they noticed that cancer cells started to divide more slowly. The treatment also caused tumor cells to die.
“If we could switch on the TRPV1 receptor with specific drugs, this might constitute a new treatment approach for this type of cancer,” says Hanns Hatt, one of the lead researchers.
The study showing that eating chili peppers may fight breast cancer was published in the journal Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Spicy Molecule Inhibits Growth of Breast Cancer Cells.” Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Ruhr-Universität Bochum, n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2016
2. “Expression and Functionality of TRPV1 in Breast Cancer Cells.” Dove Press. Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy, n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2016.
