Capsaicin vs. Cancer

It appears that capsaicin may fire a lethal blow at cancer cells by affecting the activity of a protein complex called NF-kappa Beta. This makes it more difficult for cancer to dodge programmed cell death (apoptosis). In the prostate study, capsaicin caused the death of about 80% of prostate cancer cells in mice, making tumors shrink by about one-fifth the size of untreated tumors.

Similar results in mice have been found with other types of cancer, such aspancreatic cancer. And in another study, British researchers found that capsaicin disrupts the mitochondria, a cancer cell's major energy source, killing lung and pancreatic cancer cells, but leaving healthy cells untouched.

One doesn't recommend eating peppers to try to slow cancer growth, especially since you would need to eat about eight of the hottest peppers in the world every week to achieve a similar effect.

Keep in mind, these cancer studies are preliminary and weren't done in people. There is no direct evidence that eating peppers prevents or slows cancer in people.

If you are not used to hot peppers, you are going to get a tremendous amount of burning throughout your whole GI tract when you eat too much pepper.

Dairy protein -- like the yogurt condiment that accompanies spicy Indian meals -- is a good way to neutralize it . And you can acclimate over time.

What if you have stomach ulcers or heartburn? Then,  wouldn't recommend peppers, but they may not be the cause of these problems. In fact, peppers might help ward off problems like these by reducing levels of certain bacteria or by simulating protective stomach juices.