According to PV Angels, a group of UK scientists have discovered that spicy foods can kill cancer cells.
The scientists found that capsaicin, a property in jalapeno peppers, can kill cancer cells by attacking the cell’s mitochondria – the core where the cells generate their energy. Capsaicin was tested on cultures of human pancreatic and lung cancer cells.
Their study found that the molecules to which capsaicin belongs, vanilloids, bind themselves to proteins in the cancer cell’s mitochondria, triggering their death without harming surrounding healthy cells.
Lead researcher, Dr. Timothy Bates, explained that, “As these compounds attack the very heart of the tumor cells, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental ‘Achilles heel’ for all cancers.
“The biochemistry of the mitochondria in cancer cells differs greatly from that in normal cells. This is an innate selective vulnerability of cancer cells.” He added that the dose of capsaicin that causes a cancer cell to die would not have the same effect on a normal, healthy cell.
Capsaicin and other vanilloids are already found in many common foods, proving they are safe to eat. This could make the development of a drug containing them a much quicker and cheaper process.
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