A study just published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation provides evidence that capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers may inhibit the development of tumors of the intestines. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Health Sciences division fed capsaicin to mice genetically prone to developing multiple tumors in the gastrointestinal tract. The treatment resulted in a reduced tumor burden and extended the lifespans of the mice by more than 30 percent.

It has been found that capsaicin causes the activation of a substance called TRPV1 which may provide for inhibiting a mechanism by which the normal cell replication of the lining of the intestines gets out of control and produces a tumor. Lead researcher Eyal Raz, MD, professor of Medicine says “Our data suggest that individuals at high risk of developing intestinal tumors may benefit from chronic TRPV1 activation,” Mice genetically modified to be TRPV1-deficient suffered higher-than-normal rates of intestinal tumor growths. “These results showed us that  TRPV1 normally works as a tumor suppressor in the intestines”.

Capsaicin has been used for topical pain relief, and chili peppers have been shown to have high antioxidant levels and also that the hotter the pepper,  the higher the antioxidant level it contains.

Although some people don’t tolerate eating  peppers and spices , for those who do, and like spicy food, there is increasing evidence that eating chili pepper may have important health benefits.

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