Prostate cancer patients may benefit from cayenne pepper, according to recent research. Capsaicin, the compound that gives cayenne its fiery taste, also inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells and limits the expression of inflammatory proteins. That said, the research to support these claims exists only in laboratory and animal studies as of July 2011. Speak to your doctor or health care provider about cayenne pepper if you have prostate cancer.
Capsaicin
The fruit of the capsicum shrub produces capsaicin, the active component in cayenne pepper that generates the heat associated with this spice. According to the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, capsaicin demonstrates numerous health benefits, including pain relief for arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, sore muscles and pain in cancer patients following surgery.
Programmed Cell Death
Programmed cell death is called apoptosis -- a process that is out of balance or nonexistent in cancer cells. Cayenne pepper encourages apoptosis in prostate cancer cells, according to recent research. Researchers from the University of California School of Medicine and the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo treated prostate cancer cell lines with capsaicin and then studied the effects, according to study results published in the March 2006 issue of the journal "Cancer Research." They found that capsaicin significantly slowed prostate cancer cell proliferation, and also induced apoptosis in the prostate cancer cell lines.
Prostate-Specific Androgen
The prostate produces a protein known as prostate-specific androgen or PSA; high levels of PSA typically point to the presence of prostate cancer. The capsaicin in cayenne pepper demonstrates the ability to stabilize raging PSA levels in prostate cancer patients. According to a case study published in the February 2010 issue of the "Canadian Urological Association Journal," capsaicin supplementation successfully lowered and stabilized PSA levels in a prostate cancer patient for over a year.
Inflammatory Proteins
Capsaicin also demonstrates the ability to significantly inhibit the expression of cytokines, the proteins involved in the inflammatory response associated with prostate cancer. According to the University of California School of Medicine study, capsaicin suppressed the activation of the inflammatory protein tumor necrosis factor-alpha and modulated the activation of other proteins associated with the spread of prostate cancer.
Caveat
While the research is promising, so far the proof that cayenne pepper may help prostate cancer patients remains relegated to animal and laboratory studies. Seek clearance from your doctor or health care provider before you supplement cayenne pepper if you have prostate cancer.
References
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Cancer Information: Capsaicin
- "Cancer Research"; Capsaicin, a Component of Red Peppers, Inhibits the Growth of Androgen-Independent, p53 Mutant Prostate Cancer Cells; Akio Mori, et al.; March 2006
- "Canadian Urological Association Journal"; Capsaicin may Slow PSA Doubling Time: Case Report and Literature Review; B. Jankovic, et al.; February 2010
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