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Hot Pepper Kills Prostate Cancer 401

Posted by CowboyNeal from the cajun-health-food dept.
brian0918 writes "U.S. and Japanese researchers have announced results of a study showing that capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, can cause prostate cancer cells to kill themselves. 'Capsaicin led 80 percent of human prostate cancer cells growing in mice to commit suicide in a process known as apoptosis, the researchers said.' This led to tumors one fifth the size of those in untreated mice."
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Hot Pepper Kills Prostate Cancer More

Hot Pepper Kills Prostate Cancer

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  • In other news... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Pig Hogger ( 10379 ) <pig DOT hogger AT gmail DOT com> on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:38PM (#14938796) Journal
    In other news, cause for Mexican-food flatulence not determined yet.

  • Great... Just Great. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Mr. Flibble ( 12943 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:38PM (#14938804) Homepage
    I don't know about the rest of you, but the idea of Habanero suppositories just does not sit well with me...

    (I can hear Johnny Cash singing "Ring of Fire"...)
    • Try shaving (not your face) and glancing over at the aftershave bottle, "hmm that might be soothing" and blanking out the next 10 minutes because of the horrible pain.
    • >does not sit well with me.

      Well put.
    • Funny - that's the song that was going through my mind when my wife gave birth to my children....
    • Uh... Actually... No...

      Fail that remedial biology? Your prostate is nowhere (topologically) near your asshole. Wrong path. It would have to go up and back down again. Large and small intestine vs bladder and urethra. Shorter route would be through your stomache. Of course, the other alternative is worse... Far worse...

      • Re:Great... Just Great. (Score:5, Funny)

        by Mr. Flibble ( 12943 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:26PM (#14939102) Homepage
        Fail that remedial biology? Your prostate is nowhere (topologically) near your asshole. Wrong path. It would have to go up and back down again. Large and small intestine vs bladder and urethra. Shorter route would be through your stomache. Of course, the other alternative is worse... Far worse...

        Fail that remedial comedy? Your funny bone is nowhere (topologically) near your asshole. But then, I hear there is a great deal of confusion between asses and elbows sometimes. ;)

      • Remedial anatomy (Score:5, Informative)

        by martalli ( 818692 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:40PM (#14939161) Homepage

        A simple correction - your prostate is between your urethra and your rectum [osu.edu]. In fact, the prostate makes most of the liquid in the ejaculate. If your prostate is too large (BPH [urologyhealth.org]), then the the urologist will sometimes do a TURP (also in the BPH article), where the urologist basically goes up your urethra and scoops out heaps of the prostate, in order to free up some space for the poor fellow to relieve himself.

        If concern for prostate cancer is raised, a biopsy is done with a terribly evil device [prostatecentre.ca] that goes up the rectum and spears the prostate with six separate little needles. If they left a little capsaicin behind you would be so sore you wouldn't notice...However, the study as reported by the article was simply consumed capsaicin, not topically applied

        • Re:Remedial anatomy (Score:3, Funny)

          by Anonymous Coward
          Heh,
          A biopsy of the prostate is conducted with ultrasound guidance. In this procedure, the patient is asked to lie on his side in the "fetal crouch" position.
          Presumably to prepare you for how you will spend the next few days after the operation.

      • Your prostate is nowhere (topologically) near your asshole.

        Ever wondered why some people like to be fucked in the ass? That's because the fucking dick rubs against the fucked prostate, and this enhances the orgasm the fuckee experiences. See for yourself [mypleasure.com].

        Of course, you don't have to use an actual penis to do this, a dildo will do fine.

        • Re:Great... Just Great. (Score:5, Funny)

          by kesuki ( 321456 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @12:08AM (#14939595) Journal
          Just because you can 'feel' the prostrate through the anus, does not make it the shortest path to Bring a chemical in Direct contact with it. And technically, the shortest path is going to be straight up the urethra. ouch. if you eat capsacin some will pass the blood barrier membrane and through the cirulatory system to the prostate. enough to provide the kinds of results in this study? i don't think so, colon cancer, maybe. but they didn't prove that capsacin has an effect on colon cancer, only prostate cancer.

          Not a big shocker though, a poison in high concentrations caused cancer cells to die ;) a poison that normal cells have stronger resistance to, and FWIW, habanero's aren't going to do it for you, you should go out and buy some of those police sized peppper spray cans. Since they're technically a spray one Could attempt direct application, but I doubt that the 'burning sensation' would be worth it even if it could CURE the cancer instead of reduce tumour growth by 80%. pepper spray also makes a great burrito spice, if you like 'rolling on the floor crying to mommy burning hot' spicy.

    • Re:Great... Just Great. (Score:5, Funny)

      by utlemming ( 654269 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:55PM (#14939256) Homepage
      I once entered myself into a hot pepper festival in Texas. It was a painful experience. All the contestants started out with a red pepper and then worked their way up the famed Habanero. By the time you reached the Habanero your mouth is on fire, your stomach is upset and you want to shoot yourself. I thought that the pain was over once my mouth was done burning. No. About four hours latter I had what I can only describe as the "Bunghole of Fire." My room mate knocked on the door to ask if I was okay. Apparently the screams pain hinted that something was not quite right in the bathroom. So your comment brought back memories. Thanks. I didn't need that....

  • Forget the cells! (Score:5, Funny)

    by turrican ( 55223 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:39PM (#14938807)
    Sometimes the stuff in those peppers (on their way out...) makes me want to commit suicide!
  • Yeah, But those Hot Sauce enema treatments are a bitch!

  • Three to eight... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by FireballX301 ( 766274 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:40PM (#14938813) Journal
    Lehmann estimated that the mice ate the human equivalent of 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week. That is about the amount found in three to eight fresh habanero peppers, depending on how hot the peppers are.

    I may be a lightweight bastard, but I cannot eat a single habanero without violently vomiting.

    400 mg of Capsaicin is basically like eating pepper spray. Even if it's in capsule pill form you may vomit it up from your stomach. I wonder if there's any way for a local application to the prostate instead of standard ingestion.

    • Re:Three to eight... (Score:5, Funny)

      by cbiffle ( 211614 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:42PM (#14938831)
      Well, sure, we can...but trust me, you're probably going to prefer the mouth to the urethra, when it comes to capsaicin treatments.

    • Re:Three to eight... (Score:4, Funny)

      by Solder Fumes ( 797270 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:43PM (#14938840)
      I'm sure there is, but it would burn like a motherfucker.
    • Personally, I like hot sauce, so three to eight fresh habanero peppers a week doesn't sound that bad to me. But I realize it's way more than a lot of folks would want to eat. I'm surprised the mice were willing to eat it.

      Of course, if you want to reach the same dosage/body-weight, and the mice were eating 400mg,... That's a whole lot of capsaicin for a human.

      • Re:Three to eight... (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward
        OK, we need a little reading comprehension here. Let's start with the exact same quote:

        Lehmann estimated that the mice ate the human equivalent of 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week. That is about the amount found in three to eight fresh habanero peppers, depending on how hot the peppers are.

        Now, one unambiuous point is that the mice ate the human equivalent of 400mg, they did not eat 400mg.

        The other point is that they ate it three times a week. I take the quote to mean that 400mg is equivalen

    • Re:Three to eight... (Score:5, Informative)

      by geekoid ( 135745 ) <{moc.oohay} {ta} {dnaltropnidad}> on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:59PM (#14938945) Homepage Journal
      it would be in a pill form, so there would be no taste or burning of the mouth.
      Now if your vomiting is from a reaction from something besides taste and burning mouth, you screwed.
    • Well, they could use a technique similar to that of prostate biopsy, a needle into the prostate throgh the colon wall. They did that to me last week (12 samples and I counted each and every one) and I'm still uninating a little blood. ("is this uncomfortable?" Hell, yes! "This may burn a bit." Yup!)

      Better than dying from a mestastsized prostate concer or enduring the other methods of controling it (possible side effects: impotance, incontenance, etc.) I was so nervous that my blood pressure was the hight
    • I could eat three to eight habaneros if they were spread out in all the food I ate during the day. I'd probably get tired of eating spicy food all the time, though. If this was produced as a drug therapy, it would probably be in a timed release capsule so it wouldn't release until it was in the small intestine or colon. That makes me wonder, how did they convince mice to eat that much capsaicin?

    • Re:Three to eight... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by modecx ( 130548 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:53PM (#14939236)
      Capsaicin doesn't do a thing to tissues that don't have neurons to which the molecules can bind. I keep telling this to people that insist that eating peppers all the time will destroy your stomach... But some people just don't listen to reason, but instead to old wives tales. It seems that many membranes have the neurons that capsaicin triggers, and they're mostly on the face, and in and around the anus, of all places. If you managed to swallow a habanero whole, it shouldn't cause a problem unless some of that capsaicin survives the digestion process, and then you'll be singing a Johnny Cash song.

      Most birds, incidentally, don't have receptors that capsaicin works with, so they can eat peppers all day long and not have a problem.

      • Birds and capsaicin... (Score:4, Informative)

        by sean.peters ( 568334 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @10:08AM (#14941630) Homepage
        Most birds, incidentally, don't have receptors that capsaicin works with, so they can eat peppers all day long and not have a problem.

        This property comes in really handy if squirrels start stealing from your birdfeeder. Just mix a healthy dose of cayenne pepper with the birdseed - the squirrels lose interest really fast, but the birds don't even notice. The only trouble is that the cayenne tends to cause the seed to stick together into a big solid mass when it gets damp. Also, refilling, emptying, and cleaning the birdfeeder can become an interesting process when you have clouds of cayenne pepper forming around you!

        Sean

  • Great news for my wife! (Score:5, Funny)

    by AceyMan ( 199978 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:41PM (#14938819)
    My wife *loves* super hot foods, so if this is true, she'll never get prostate cancer!

  • Thanks for the info...I'm preparing right now... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I'm cooking up a great big pot of hot hot hot chili for my girlfriend right now!

  • Capsaicin - topical analgesic (Score:5, Informative)

    by Frankie70 ( 803801 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:45PM (#14938851)
    Capsaicin [nih.gov]
    is an excellent topical analgesic also for neural problems, like Diabetic neuropathy.

    There is a substance P which transmits the pain to the brain. Capsaicin destroys substance
    P if you apply it for 4-5 days multiple times a day & hence for the next couple of weeks
    you will not have pain, then you have to report it. Instead of the expensive Capsaicin
    cream you can also use a paste made at home of red chilli powder etc. Or even McIlhenny's Tabasco [idiom.com]

    I have meralgia parasthetic condition & nothing provides relief like chilli paste.

  • new market... (Score:3, Funny)

    by irving47 ( 73147 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:46PM (#14938854) Homepage
    I sense a new product and service for locations near hospitals and clinics offering treatment.... Buttermilk enemas!

  • Your medication [hotsauceworld.com] sir.
  • Ah. Nothing like waking up to take your morning medication which may now include a 300,000+ SCOVILLE SCALE PILL FROM HELL.
    • If you take your medication right, you'll never taste an ounce of spiciness. All the "spicy" stuff will be kept inside a neat little pill casing, presuming the chemical IS all that spicy when isolated from the peppers. Just don't bite.

  • Another thing you can do... (Score:5, Funny)

    by clevershark ( 130296 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:48PM (#14938868) Homepage
    You can also masturbate for prostate health [bbc.co.uk]! Just make sure you do that before handling hot peppers. Trust me on that one.

  • Quick Google Scholar Search (Score:5, Interesting)

    by FreemanPatrickHenry ( 317847 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:50PM (#14938882)
    Hmm, a quick Google Scholar search for "capsaicin cancer" revealed this [nih.gov]. That link, from NIH, seems to indicate that there's evidence that capsaicin is a carconigen:

    The cancer increase was dependent on the concentration of these groups in a county. These results strengthen and extend an earlier case-control study which found odds ratios above 5 for the stomach cancer association with capsaicin pepper. It is further evidence that capsaicin is a human carcinogen.

    Thoughts?
    • "These results strengthen and extend an earlier case-control study which found odds ratios above 5 for the stomach cancer association with capsaicin pepper... Thoughts?"

      Well, given the choice between not being able to have sex and not being able to eat solid foods, I think most men would pick the better of two evils.

      Then again, this is Slashdot.

    • Just like the second law of thermodynamics (Score:4, Funny)

      by ColdWetDog ( 752185 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:59PM (#14938939) Homepage
      You can't win.

      Give up.

    • I have issues with all "[insert product here] causes cancer" studies. The mechanisms that cause a cingle cell to become cancerous are not known. Ther are people who smoke for 30 years and don't develop cancer. Then there are folks like my father in law. Smoked 20 years, and got skin cancer, but not lung cancer. Until someone figures out DEFINITIVELY(sp?) how cancer starts, how can they say anything "causes" cancer?
      • I have big issues with a particular cell phone service company. They've got people thinking that "cingle" is a word!!

      • Re:Quick Google Scholar Search (Score:4, Informative)

        by some guy on slashdot ( 914343 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @04:21AM (#14940341)
        We do, in fact, know what causes cancer. It's just random mutation of a LOT of DNA codons. The problem is partly that it takes so many mutations, in so many possible combinations, that we can't point to a single cause. But that doesn't mean we can't predict what things are more likely to induce those cancerous mutations. In fact, we have names for the series of things that are likely to cause mutation; carcinogens. You're right that we don't know to the exact decimal place how carcinogenic certain things are. But we do know that cigarettes are 1,000,000 times as carcinogenic as, say, a baked potato.

        Does this mean that smoking cigarettes will undoubtedly give you cancer, always, in every case? No. Does it mean that avoiding carcinogens will completely safeguard you against it? No. Because the mechanism is still completely random - you could smoke your entire life and never create a particular combination of mutations that causes your cells to divide uncontrollably, or you could get a bad set of transcription errors and end up with cancer anyway. But that doesn't mean you should discount smoking, industrial waste and radiation as health risks simply because we don't know if habanero peppers are slightly carcinogenic or not.

        The question is, if rolling a die a thousand times in a specific order would give you a horrible, disfiguring and probably deadly disease, would you rather roll the die 1 billion times, or 100 billion times?
        • The question is, if rolling a die a thousand times in a specific order would give you a horrible, disfiguring and probably deadly disease, would you rather roll the die 1 billion times, or 100 billion times?

          Since each die roll would take at least two seconds, a billion die rolls would take at least two billion seconds or over 126 years. Therefore, I really don't care if it's a billion or 100 billion rolls - either way I'm rolling the die my entire life. And if I must spend my entire life rolling a die, I'
      • Then there are folks like my father in law. Smoked 20 years, and got skin cancer, but not lung cancer. Until someone figures out DEFINITIVELY(sp?) how cancer starts, how can they say anything "causes" cancer?

        Just because there's some collaborating and perhaps unknown factors that influences the eventual outcome doesn't make it false, it is merely a probability rather than a certainty.

        Let me take an example: Some women gets raped. Some of these women commit suicide. But because some of these women didn't com
    • By now, in this age of medicine[marketing], most common substances and behaviors both increase and decrease your risk for any cancer, depending on who and when you ask, and what report has just come out.
      It's like the fad diet thing. "Carbs evil! Eat meat! No, eat carbs! Tofu FTW!"
      Thoughts? Well, I just know that a lot of people tend to end up with cancer at some point or another. Maybe it's new definitions in diagnosis, maybe it's the 1000 or so nuclear tests put on by the US alone, maybe it's the terrorist

      • Re:Quick Google Scholar Search (Score:5, Insightful)

        by JavaRob ( 28971 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @01:40AM (#14939938) Homepage Journal
        "Carbs evil! Eat meat! No, eat carbs! Tofu FTW!"

        Huh? Tofu is pretty much all protein, not carbs.

        Anyway, if your conclusion from "we get contradictory info, and we're all going to die someday anyway" is "ignore all the info" that's just another extreme approach that's going to hurt you.

        It's like you should probably avoid the extreme diets premised on dubious (or little-explored) studies. But you aren't choosing between that and eating Ho-Hos and pizza for every meal. There's a ton we *do* know about leading a healthy life. Don't spend hours a day counting calories, but get some exercise, avoid the junk food (just don't even bring it home unless you have an iron will), and start eating less if you start getting fat. It's not that hard once you're in the habit, and you'll live a much better life than anyone swinging between the extremes.

        About cancer... often it's worth checking into actual incidence rates of different cancers before you make choices of what recommendations you want to ignore. Some carcinogens have a tiny effect. Something like smoking has a pretty huge effect (something like 1 in 19 people get lung cancer in their lives, and 90% of people who die from lung cancer are smokers.. and that's ignoring all of the other health effects of smoking, including other cancers).

        In the end, you do have to balance the benefit against the gain, but it IS worth putting some thought into ...and actually reading the numbers.

        Yes, freaking out at every headline isn't much use (since many of the reporters don't always seem to understand the actual significance of the studies they're reporting on... they just want the big headline), but that doesn't mean useful info isn't readily available. If you don't want to parse it yourself, talk to your doctor about it.
    • Thoughts?

      a)All of these ethnic groups also eat a lot more beans than the "normal" population. Possibly more corn and lime (as in the mineral) as well. I don't see the justification for claiming that capsaicin was isloated.

      b)You're going to die, get used to the idea.

      KFG
    • Lets try to reproduce the results in the same thing; then we'll be talking. Mice and humans have a fairly similar genome (98%, IIRC), but in case you haven't noticed, they're a little different (we're talking size here). It may be that if you feed small amounts of capcasin to a mouse, it will trigger apoptosis (intentional cell death). If you feed large amounts it will somehow be able to block apoptosis (ala retroviruses).
      As such, large amounts could cause cancer. Or, it could be that, in humans, capcas

  • This clearly demonstrates (Score:5, Funny)

    by jvance ( 416133 ) <slashdot.t.jvance@spamgourmet.com> on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:52PM (#14938895)
    how much the Slashdot userbase is aging. Now where are my glasses? I can't find my Viagra without them.

  • Self-help (Score:2, Funny)

    by RPI Geek ( 640282 )
    I hope no one gets the terrible idea to try treating their cancer themselves by...

    What the fuck am I saying? This could be hilarious!

    I hope to hell that someone gets the idea to treat their cancer using the most direct method possible... and I hope that it ends up in the news :)

  • Possible other uses for Pepper Spray.. (Score:3, Informative)

    by sinth ( 830539 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @09:54PM (#14938909)
    FTA reference;
    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Capsaici n&oldid=43115117 [wikipedia.org]

    "Capsaicin is also the active ingredient in the chemical riot control agent pepper spray. When the spray comes in contact with skin, especially eyes or mucous membranes it is very painful."

    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_spray [wikipedia.org]

    "Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas, or capsicum spray) is a lachrymatory agent which is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs. It is a non-lethal agent that can be deadly in rare cases. The American Civil Liberties Union claims to have documented fourteen fatalities from the use of pepper spray. The active ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, which is a chemical derived from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus, including chillis. Long-term effects of pepper spray have not been effectively researched."

    Apparently someone was curious.. (Mental image of evil scientist deviously spraying innocent mice with pepper spray while laughing .. deviously.)
  • I very recently saw a seminar by Howard Shapiro, a scientist who, among other things, wrote a song about apoptosis [purdue.edu]. He performed it for us with accompanying music. Science songs are always great mnemonic devices.

    Two sample stanzas:

    When outer leaflets of cell membranes
    Let phosphatidylserine show,
    Labeled annexin V will bind there,
    And you can measure it in flow.

    Mitochondria deenergize
    And superoxide levels rise,
    But the nuclear signs of apoptosis
    Come later; then, the cell dies.

  • A a scientist... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:08PM (#14939008)
    who works at Pfizer Global Research & Development, there are many natural substances that can treat diseases and conditions that are not known to the general public. For example, Lipitor, last year contributed to $13 BILLION of Pfizer's $16 BILLION profit. Drinkng 6 to 8 ounces of RED WINE per DAY (AND NO MORE!!!) will likely negate the need of Lipitor and similar drugs later in life for the treatment of elevated cholesterol and plaques in the arteries. The important point of this statement is that one cannot exceed 6 to 8 ounces of RED WINE per day, or else the effects of alcohol(ism) will have serious detrimental effects on the body. Google or Wikipedia 'resveratrol'.

    Big pharma doesn't like the general public knowing that natural compounds present in everyday foods can prevent/treat diseases/conditions that arise later in life due to certain metabolic syndromes/disorders/lifestyles, etc... How else would big pharma demand high prices for its 'miracale/block-buster drugs'?

    Since I'm a contract scientist working at Pfizer, and not employed by Pfizer, I feel obligated to tell the truth about some of the secrets hidden by the pharmaceutical industry. Don't read too much into what I've written, I'm not advocating the consumption of alcohol, but drinkning 6-8 ounces of red wine per day will keep high cholesterol and the doctor away, for a long, long time.
    • Purple grape juice reportedly has the same beneficial effects.

    • Re:A a scientist... (Score:4, Interesting)

      by posterlogo ( 943853 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @01:54AM (#14939973)
      This is hardly something "hidden" by the pharmaceutical companies. There are many known natural compounds, like antioxidants, that will help prevent a vast number of ailments and diseases associated with aging. It's not like it's some big secret that eating healthy (vegetables, whole grains) and maintaining a reasonable exercise regiment is primarily what you need to age well. There are, of course, many other little novelties, like red wine, etc., but come on? You haven't seen enough of those little blurbs about "Tonight at 11, this miracle food will cure what ails you...find out what it is." They pop up all over the place. Lipitor is used to help people who are ALREADY symptomatic. It is NOT meant to be prescribed rampantly to just anyone as a preventative measure. There is absolutely no proof that red wine can help reverse alleviate elevated cholesterol or arterial plaques once they have formed. As a fellow, scientist, I'm surprised you wouldn't know to make this very important distinction. I have no problem with people using the knowledge that a little bit of red wine is good for the heart, but don't make it sound like it does the same thing as Lipitor.

  • Jalapeño suppositories anyone? (Score:5, Funny)

    by adolfojp ( 730818 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:18PM (#14939056)
    Having to choose between prostate cancer and jalapeño suppositories is definite proof that God exists and that he has a very sick sense of humor.
    • Of course God exists, and he DEFINITLY has a sense of humour. Just look at the platypus.

      *note: to all the platypus lovers out there, this was meant in good humour. The platypus is a wonderful and noble creature. I sincerely apologize to all platypus enthusiasts out there who are offended by that thoughtless comment about platypi. It was not my intention to slight these stupid creatures in any way.

  • What are the rates in cultures that like hot food? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Palal ( 836081 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:21PM (#14939077) Homepage
    What are the rates in countries such as South Korea, where many foods are extremely spicy?
  • This has South Park written ALL OVER IT :-D

    In Fact, put it with this news article and you'll have one of the most deadly WMD (Weapon of Mass Derision) known to man!
    http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRe publish_1590861.htm [abc.net.au]
  • You know, something tells me that if I ever get prostate cancer, I'm just going to have to say no to this one. Something tells me that shoving hot peppers up my ass just isn't worth it.

  • There be FLAMES shooting out my ass! (Score:5, Funny)

    by ip_freely_2000 ( 577249 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @10:45PM (#14939190)

    Loving spicy foods pays off! Finally, my wife will have to stop complaining when I aromitize the bedroom in the middle of the night.

    "But honey, it's part of my health management program!"

  • Now let's see some human correlation... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by niktemadur ( 793971 ) on Thursday March 16, 2006 @11:57PM (#14939553)
    It's all fine and well to joke about mexican food all over this thread, some of the zingers are very funny, but this gives me an idea: how about determining the incidence of prostate cancer in Mexico's population?

    As an example, one of the typical "delicacies" found in the city of Guadalajara is a dish called "torta ahogada" or "drowned torta", which is pork meat stuffed in baguette-style bread, dipped in tomato sauce, then again in ultra-hot chile de arbol sauce. Garnished with pickled onions, you squeeze lemon juice, add a little rock salt and dig in. A LOT of people in Guadalajara eat this on a regular basis.

    As a side note, just as in the United States some people bob for apples in a bucket full of water, there's one stand in Guadalajara that holds competitions, bobbing for tortas in a bucket full of chile de arbol sauce. The winner eats there free for a year. Strictly for masochists, if you ask me.

    Anyway, if we compare the percentage of prostate cancer cases in Guadalajara as opposed to, say, Minneapolis, maybe a "real world" result will stick out plainly and clearly. Then again, maybe not, maybe a race is genetically more susceptible to contract prostate cancer, I dunno, but to dig up the data would cost next to nothing and could be worth a try.

  • Capsaicin almost as good as garlic (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Pedrito ( 94783 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @12:39AM (#14939744)
    Capsaicin is like garlic, or tea. You can't get too much of it and it does great things for you. Capsaicin has several cardiovascular benefits. It's an anti-coagulant and it also lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. It's an analgesic (particularly effective against pain caused by nerve disorders and arthritis). It's also an effective topical analgesic (though I suspect in very weak mixtures, since it burns like hell otherwise).

    Capsaicin kills the bacteria responsible for most stomach ulcers thus, contrary to popular opinion, it actually protects against stomach ulcers. As most people might surmise, it's excellent for clearing congestion.

    If you need to lose weight, start eating hot sauce. Capsaicin increases the metabolism, thermogenesis, and oxygen consumption.

    If you find hot sauce "too hot", then work your way up. Start with mildly hot sauces and slowly increase the heat over time. Most web sites that specialize in selling hot sauces also have the Scoville [wikipedia.org] ratings for those sauces, so you can do be methodical about it if you want. Your body builds up a tolerance for the burning sensation in the mouth and before long, you'll find yourself able to eat sauces you didn't think you could. You just need to be consistent and eat some every day. I try to consume at least 3 teaspoons of 12,000 Scoville salsa a day.

    My personal preference is El Yucateco Salsa Kutbil-ik de. It's a brown Mayan style habanero salsa from the Yucatan. I'm kind of partial to it 'cause I lived in the Yucatan for several years and it's pretty popular there. They also make a red sauce (6000 Scovilles) and a green (9000 Scovilles).

  • not the whole story (Score:5, Funny)

    by penguin-collective ( 932038 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @01:31AM (#14939917)
    This is typical for how scientists try to make the best out of bad experimental results. Yes, it's true that 80% of the cancer cells committed suicide, but that's because 80% of the mice themselves committed suicide when the capsaicin was "applied" to their prostates. You would, too.

    Some of the mice hung themselves, while some others shot themselves; the scientists still haven't figured out where they got the ropes and guns, which only underlines how painful the treatment is.

  • As a chili-head... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Hakubi_Washu ( 594267 ) <robert.kostenNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday March 17, 2006 @02:43AM (#14940100)
    ...I'm very glad to hear this (though it is, like most stories involving cancer, FUD or euFUD, it's "positive" counterpart). I will happily continue to put Dave's Insanity Sauce on my dishes :-) Anyone knows where I can get DI Spice or Vicious Vampire in Germany cheaper than at pepperworld.de (Especially VV is expensive at 10)? I want to try upgrading myself from grade 9 (50000-100000 Scoville) to grade 10 (100000-500000 Scoville), the hottest possible stuff (All above 500000 Scoville isn't produced for food, because humans apparently can't distinguish the taste anymore) for bragging reasons :-P

  • Chili Facts - For the Tech Minded (Score:3, Informative)

    by cyberjack88 ( 884898 ) on Friday March 17, 2006 @06:41AM (#14940676) Journal
    Chili Facts When the heat content of a pepper is measured in Scoville units, a bell pepper rates zero, a jalapeno is 2,500 to 5,000 units, a cayenne 30,000 to 50,000 and the habanero, considered the hottest pepper, 100,000 to 500,000. They release endorphons into the brain, promoting a sense of well being. Chilies also can be used to remove barnacles from ships.

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