Several weeks ago, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA researchers reported that capsaicin in habanero peppers had
the power to drive prostate
cancer cells to commit suicide. In a new and different study done by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center researchers, capsaicin is reported to have the same cancer-fighting properties in preventing or slowing the growth of pancreatic cancer tumors. Capsaicin appears to signal pancreatic cancer cells to follow pathways leading to their own cellular death too. Pancreatic cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is one of the most aggressive cancers, with an extremely poor prognosis.
All in all, it is beginning to look like cancer cells do not seem able to stand the heat, but if you can, chili peppers might be a good idea to include in your cancer prevention diet. There is a magazine devoted to all the varieties of the chili pepper, called Chili Pepper, that includes recipes for every meal of the day, including appetizers and desserts.
