Chili Peppers May Help Fight Lung Cancer

The compound responsible for chili peppers' heat, called capsaicin, could help slow down metastatic growth.


"Our study suggests that the natural compound capsaicin from chili peppers could represent a novel therapy to combat metastasis in lung cancer patients."
In their study, the researchers found that capsaicin inhibited cells from moving into other tissues, the first step of the metastatic process. Further studies in mice with metastatic cancer revealed that those that consumed capsaicin showed smaller areas of metastatic cancer cells in the lung.

Inhibiting Src

Additional research found that capsaicin inhibits lung cancer metastasis by thwarting the activation of the protein Src. Src is a key regulator that is involved in the control of many functions such as cell adhesion, growth, movement and differentiation.

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