Does this spice cause cancer or cure it?

Is this tasty spice a cancer cause
or a cancer cure?

    It sounds improbable but it's TRUE! Scientists conducting animal studies of the nutrientcapsaicin found that in some cases it induced tumors in the liver and intestines.

    But they didn't see the same results in humans. In fact, in more than one instance they found the opposite to be true. We've often pointed out that the results of animal studies don't always hold true for humans.

    This is a case in point. Capsaicin -- a common, inexpensive food item --appears to be a valuable cancer fighter. Keep reading and I'll explain. . .

Continued below. . .

Why Probiotics Aren't Enough to Save You From Gas, Bloating and Difficult Digestion     You've probably heard that Probiotics are critical for good digestion; that they can alleviate constipation, diarrhea, gas, and even support your immune system.     But Probiotics alone aren't enough to save you. They can even fail your immune system.     If your favorite foods don't agree with you anymore, your doctor may suggest ant-acids and laxatives. But if you want to get to the root of the problem, you need digestive enzymes.     Without digestive enzymes, undigested food sits in your digestive tract leaving you bloated, gassy, constipated or suffering diarrhea and you grow weak, lose energy, age faster and grow ill.     The Mayo Clinic confirms certain enzyme production can decrease up to 97% between the ages of 30 and 69.     No wonder digestion keeps getting worse as you get older and health problems increase!     And now there's a breakthrough formula that combines the most powerful Probiotics with the most critical digestive enzymes to solve your digestion worries forever! Learn more

    Even if the word "capsaicin" is new to you, I'm sure you know some of its food sources like cayenne pepper, jalapeños and other hot peppers, and paprika.

    Several studies have shown that capsaicin scores a major win in the fight against prostate cancer by:

1. Causing prostate cancer cells to shrivel and die.
2. Slowing tumor growth.
3. Reducing production of prostate specific antigen (PSA—a protein abundant in tumors).

    Capsaicin is part of the group of annual plants in the nightshade family. These plants are native to Mexico and Central America, but are grown in other warm climates too.

    According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), capsaicin is the most-studied active ingredient in this group of plants. Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes its value and has approved its use on skin.

    And plenty of folks are probably very happy about that…

A simple way to ease the pain

    When it comes to applying capsaicin to the skin (i.e. topically), the ACS reported these positive results:

• A 1989 study found topical capsaicin was an effective pain reliever for 50 percent of a group of women who had undergone mastectomies for breast cancer.
• A 1991 study determined that capsaicin cream reduced pain associated with the nerve disorder called diabetic neuropathy.
• In 1994 a research review concluded that topical capsaicin could be combined with other medicines to address the burning, shooting pain that cancer patients often experience after surgery.
• A 2006 study conducted by researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine found that oral capsaicin mixed with taffy reduced pain in eleven patients with mouth sores caused by chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

    Despite its spicy hot character, capsaicin clearly has properties that can help soothe and ease pain! But that's not all it can do to improve your health.

    Many proponents of alternative medicine highly recommend capsaicin to address a variety of health problems, including cramps, diarrhea, headaches, loss of appetite, motion sickness, malaria, toothaches, ulcers, and upset stomach. Quite a list! But. . .

Is there any proof that capsaicin can fight cancer?

    Some advocates claim capsaicin has antioxidants to help clobber cell damaging free radicals. And others believe it may protect lungs from cell damaging cigarette smoke.

    Although research on capsaicin's effects on cancer is ongoing, The American Association for Cancer Research already reports on these recent study results:

• Leukemia—Japanese researchers suggested that the natural compound capsaicin would be a less toxic way to induce apoptosis in leukemia cells than current chemotherapy drugs.
  The researchers said they did not observe any organ damage during experiments using live mice in a leukemia model. They also found that capsaicin did not affect the growth of normal bone marrow cells from healthy volunteers.
• Lung cancer—in 2007, researchers at the University of Nottingham in England suggested that capsaicin may induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells. The nutrient appears to attack the mitochondria—the cell energy center—without harming nearby healthy cells.
• Prostate cancer—as reported in an earlier article (Issue #23), capsaicin caused about 80 percent of human prostate cancer cells grown in mice cultures to undergo apoptosis. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and colleagues from UCLA Medical School said the mice received a dose equivalent to about 400 milligrams of capsaicin, three times a week given to a 200 pound human male.

    These results make capsaicin sound promising as a cancer treatment. But despite acknowledging its usefulness as a topical pain reliever—the ACS won't go as far as endorsing it for this purpose. Don't forget, the ACS is the last word in conventional cancer medicine; they aren't receptive to alternatives.

    The organization's website states that capsaicin's "side effects limit its usefulness for some people."

    What side effects? Aren't cayenne and other peppers considered safe to eat for people who aren't allergic to them?

    Yes they are! But some people have found that taking oral capsaicin supplements upsets their stomachs or gives them diarrhea.

    In other cases, the peppers themselves can cause stinging, burning, or pain to your mouth or mucous membranes.

    Still others are bothered by the runny nose, skin flushing, sweating and tearing the supplements can cause. Personally, I love spicy hot foods. And, yes, I do get a running nose when I eat them. I haven't experienced the other side effects.

    Stinging and pain in the mouth sound unlikely to me if you don't permit the capsaicin tablet or capsule to dissolve in your mouth, but I don't have firsthand experience of this.

    Compared to the nausea, hair loss and other sickening side effects of chemotherapy drugs and radiation, capsaicin products may be a natural and less dangerous way to help rid your body of cancer. If you experience unpleasant side effects, stop taking the supplement. There are many, many other natural cancer supplements you can try instead.

    Last issue we wrote about a new diet supplement that's sweeping the nation. There may be some doubts about whether it's safe. If you missed this important news, you can catch it now just below.