Chilli is one of the foods that can often be found in our daily life. For those of you who like the “hot” taste, chilli may be a food that must be available at mealtime. The “hot” sensation of chilli is inseparable from the role of the active compounds contained in it, capsaicin. Besides being responsible for the “hot” sensation, capsaicin can also play a role in fighting cancer.

According to the results of a study conducted by Marshall University, it was found that capsaicin can help to fight cancer, especially in lung cancer. Capsaicin was found to be able to stop the metastatic process of cancer cells, thus inhibiting the development of these cells. These results were obtained after testing the effectiveness of capsaicin in mice and human cell cultures.

In their study, the researchers gave some capsaicin intake in mice with lung cancer and found that the mice had a much smaller number of cancer cell metastases when compared to mice that were not given the same treatment. Capsaicin was found to inhibit the activity of the protein which plays a role in regulating the proliferation, survival and motility of cancer cells.

With this discovery, the researchers hope that one day, capsaicin can be used as a method of treatment for people with lung cancer. Although there are side effects, particularly on the digestive system, the researchers believe that this method can prevent the spread of cancer cells to other locations such as the brain, liver and bones.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Friedman, J., Richbart, S., Merritt, J., et all (2019). Capsaicin and natural capsaicin-like compounds suppress metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma. American Society for Investigative Pathology.
• Medical News Today - Chili pepper compound may slow down lung cancer (2019). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324911.php, April 11, 2019.