Eating peppers could slow the spread of lung cancer

We have all heard the phrase "food, it's a medicine" and, in this case, it could be the case.

A new study published in Experimental Biology discovered that capsaicin in hot peppers could slow the spread of lung cancer. This is great news because lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women.

The researchers examined human non-small cell lung cancer cells and found that capsaicin prevented cells from moving into other tissues, the first indication of the spread of cancer. This is particularly important because the main reason lung cancer is so difficult to treat is that it is difficult to detect at an early stage and once symptoms appear, it often spreads to others. parts of the body. It can spread to other areas of the body, including the brain, bones and adrenal glands, during a process called metastasis.

The study also found that the compound decreased the number of metastatic cancer cells in the lungs of mice whose lung cancer had already spread compared to those who had not received capsaicin.

"Our study suggests that capsaicin, a natural compound of hot peppers, could constitute a new treatment for fighting metastasis in patients with lung cancer," said Jamie Friedman, Ph.D. candidate who led research at Marshall University's laboratory Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in a statement.

Although additional research is needed to determine the efficacy and viability of using capsaicin in a clinical setting, the study suggests the possibility of using it in conjunction with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, for treat lung cancer.

It's exciting to hear that this property in a common food could have potentially life-saving benefits, and we're really looking forward to hearing more.