"capsaicin" news and stories

Garlic used to be the go-to ingredient of both pros and of home cooks. If you ask chefs like Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver what their favorite ingredient of the moment is, they might just say chilis, instead. Chilis, as Nigella puts it "are quite exciting... [and] quite apart from the fact that chillies are so red and shiny, I feel they've been fashioned by Santa's elves." It seems unlikely that the first thought that pops into other people's minds when looking at chilis is that they are produced by elves, but their versatile and spicy flavor is just as likely to excite the imagination of a cook as a new toy is to excite a child.

In addition to being tasty, chilis have proven health benefits, which makes them fit neatly into the trend for foods that have to do with wellness and overall good health. Capsaicin, a chemical in chilis that gives them their heat, has been shown to slow the growth of and even kill cancer cells, alleviate inflammation, relieve chronic pain and even help to reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart attacks.

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Gather 'round, men, for the spicy food cook-off. You don't want to miss this one; it could save your life.

Capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers (particularly cayenne and habenero) that makes them hot, literally stops prostate cancer cells in their tracks. Really. They actually commit suicide (apoptosis), leading to an eighty percent reduction in the size of the tumors compared with the mice spared from the hot stuff.

This is great news, but not really a surprise that the cancer cells commit suicide when exposed to the capsaicin. After all, haven't there been times you've wanted to kill yourself when eating those nuclear-hot buffalo wings or that seven-alarm chili? Makes perfect sense to me.

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