Spicy food could give hope in the fight against cancer

They are known to be spicy and kick your meal.

But now, scientists say that chillies could be more useful than just adding fire to a curry – and could even fight cancer.

Tests have suggested that capsaicin, the compound that kicks chillies, could spread the disease.

They are known to be spicy and kick your meal. But now, scientists say that hot peppers could be more useful than just adding fire to a curry

Researchers at Marshall University, West Virginia, examined the effects of capsaicin on three types of cancer cells in the laboratory.

The team of scientists discovered that the compound blocked the first stage of the spread of cancer, called metastasis.

And tests on mice fighting against metastatic cancer revealed that those who consumed capsaicin had smaller areas of aggressive cancer cells in their lungs.

Other tests have shown that capsaicin suppresses lung cancer metastasis by blocking a protein that plays a role in cell growth, called Src.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Investigative Pathology in Orlando, Florida.

Jamie Friedman, a Ph.D. candidate who led the study, said: "Lung cancer and other cancers usually metastasize to secondary locations such as the brain, liver or bones, making them difficult to treat.

"Our study suggests that capsaicin, a natural compound of chili peppers, could constitute a new treatment for fighting metastasis in patients with lung cancer."

Dr. Friedman added, "We hope that someday capsaicin can be used in combination with other chemotherapeutic products to treat a variety of lung cancers.

"However, the clinical use of capsaicin will require overcoming its unpleasant side effects, including gastrointestinal irritation, stomach cramps and a burning sensation."

There are 46,400 cases of lung cancer in Britain each year and 35,500 deaths, making it the biggest killer of cancer.

In the United States, approximately 230,000 new diagnoses are made each year, while the disease kills about 140,000 people.

Most patients with lung cancer, often asymptomatic in its infancy, are smokers or former smokers.

Five years after diagnosis, only one patient is still alive because the disease has often spread elsewhere, according to the numbers.

This is not the first time that researchers have discovered that capsaicin – a vanilloid form – has anticancer properties.

Scientists say that it triggers a cellular receptor called TRPV1, which controls substances whose cancerous growth can feed.

By fighting this, growth ends up self-destructing. As more and more cancer cells die, the tumor no longer grows.

Other experiments have shown that the family of compounds to which capsaicin belongs can kill cancer cells by attacking their central mitochondria.

But experts have repeatedly warned that it was unlikely that simply consuming a large amount of spices could help combat any form of cancer.