Hot Chillies Could Hold The Key To Beating Breast Cancer

The active ingredient found in chillies could hold the key to fighting breast cancer.

Scientists at the Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany, have found that capsaicin – the component in chillies that gives them their trademark kick – actually causes cancer-stricken cells to self destruct.

And they say it’s not just breast cancer. Colon, bone and pancreatic cancers could also benefit from a dose of the hot stuff.

However, before you start ordering your vindaloos extra spicy – they say it isn’t effective when eaten, inhaled or even injected.

Researchers have found that capsaicin is at its most effective when taken in pill form and attached to another cancer-targeting drug.

As part of their research, the scientists treated human samples of breast cancer cells with the hot ingredient to find out more about its ability to destroy them.

Dr Lea Weber, writing in the journal Breast Cancer – Targets and Therapy, said: ‘Capsaicin is capable of inducing apoptosis (cell death) and inhibiting cancer cell growth in many different types of cancer, for example, osteosarcoma, colon, and pancreatic cancer cells, while normal cells remained unharmed.’

The team claim that when capsaicin reaches a cancer cell, it attaches itself to the cell membrane and switches on a cell receptor called TRPV1.

TRPV1 is a receptor and controls which substances – such as calcium and sodium – can go in and out of the cancer cell.

They found that when TRPV1 is switched on by capsaicin – the cancerous cell is sent into overdrive and begins to self-destruct.

As more and more cancer cells die, the tumour is stopped from growing larger.

In the fight against cancer, this might be the most interesting breakthrough yet.