Breast Cancer Cells Do Not Like It Spicy, Ruhr-University Study

People’s reaction to eating spicy foods ranges from the euphoric demand for more to the tongue-sweltering search for fire-snuffing edibles. Most spicy dishes owe their heat to peppers from the genus Capsicum, with species ranging from the nonspicy bell pepper to the current title holder of world's hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper. For years researchers have been interested in the chemical compound—capsaicin—that makes many of these peppers seem spicy to those brave enough for the experience. While capsaicin’s uses range from pain reliever to personal defense sprays, investigators at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) in Germany have just discovered that the active spicy pepper ingredient also inhibits the growth of cultivated breast cancer cells.