Cancer
Hot chilli pepper ingredient could kill tumours
By IANS
Mar 17, 2006, 13:54

An ingredient that makes chilli peppers hot could kill tumours, says a study even as scientists warn against increasing chilli intake.

The chemical compound capsaicin is the active component of chilli peppers, which is an irritant for mammals and produces a burning sensation in the mouth.

Rodent tests showed that capsaicin triggered 80 percent of the cancer cells to start a process leading to cell death. It also reduced the size of tumours by a fifth with no major side effects, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.

"It may be possible to extract the capsaicin and make it available as a drug," Britain's Prostate Cancer charity said.

However, it warns people not to increase their intake of hot chillies as that has been linked with stomach cancers.

Over 30,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Britain each year, and 10,000 die.

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