The Effects of Capsaicin on Health

Capsaicin is the main active ingredient in red chillies. You will discover all its benefits in this article. Capsaicin is a chemical compound belonging to the alkaloid family of plant origin, derived from chilli peppers.

Capsaicin is known for the pungent flavour of peppers and is responsible for their heat sensation. With the exception of peppers, capsaicin is generally synonymous with chilli. It is also one of the components of cayenne pepper, which is what makes it so beneficial.

Thanks to massive and ever-evolving research, there is no doubt that capsaicin can revolutionise more than one traditional treatment in the medical field.

• Anti-Cancer
  Baldness
  Pain Relief
  For arthritis
  Anti-inflammatory
  Digestion aid
  Weight loss, slimming
  Antioxidant action
  Anti-diabetes, cholesterol
  Boosts immunity
  Detoxifies the body, helps to eliminate waste products
  Protects the stomach from ulcers

What is Capsaicin?

Capsaicin (or capsaicin) and its derivatives are responsible for the pungent heat sensation of chilli peppers, as well as having antioxidant activity. In addition, human studies have shown that the capsaicin in chilli peppers increases the basal metabolic rate after ingestion. It has also been shown in humans that the capsaicin in chillies can increase satiety and reduce food intake. Combined with a healthy lifestyle, these short-term effects of chillies may be an added benefit for people watching their weight. Finally, although research has sometimes suggested otherwise, a growing body of evidence suggests that capsaicin may have anti-cancer properties in vitro and in animals.

Capsaicin eliminates Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the stomach, which causes stomach inflammation and predisposes to pancreatic cancer.

Once the capsaicin molecule binds to the TRPV1 receptor, the brain is alerted to the occurrence of a hot or burning event, which in turn triggers a mild inflammatory response designed to repair the affected cells. This response is thought to be responsible for many of capsaicin’s benefits.

The Main Benefits of Capsaicin are

For the Treatment of Cancer

Capsaicin is an important tool in the fight against cancer, with anticancer and protective effects against various types of cancer, including lung cancer, gastric cancer, primary effusion lymphoma, breast cancer…
Among the many benefits of capsaicin, studies have shown that it can help fight cancer.

For example, several studies show that capsaicin can effectively fight prostate cancer, including a 2006 study from the UCLA School of Medicine that claimed it had a « profound anti-proliferative effect » on this type of cancer. Researchers found that oral capsaicin significantly inhibited the spread of prostate cancer cells and induced apoptosis (cell death) in more than one type of prostate cancer.
At the same time, according to a study by researcher Sanjay Srivastava of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, « organic capsaicin, when administered to mice with pancreatic disease, kills cancer cells by apoptosis, significantly reducing the size of the tumour », he reports.

1- Breast Cancer Alternative Treatment

Capsaicin may also be effective against breast cancer, the second most common cancer in women. It has been clear for some time that capsaicin can induce apoptosis of specific breast cancer cells, but another landmark study published in South Korea at the end of 2015 showed that capsaicin can also help kill another type of cell: breast cancer stem cells.

This discovery is particularly important because the stem cells that remain after the death of other cancer cells are responsible for disease recurrence.

Capsaicin has been extensively studied for its effect on primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). This form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is rare and associated with HIV.

Tumours of The Lung.

Research also suggests that capsaicin may help reduce the size and incidence of certain lung tumours.
Research suggests that capsaicin treatments, in combination with other beneficial foods, are a potential treatment for several types of cancer. They have been shown to have positive effects on tumour shrinkage, prevention of metastasis and induction of apoptosis in several types of cancer. They may also be able to prevent the development of cancer.
Capsaicin is also beneficial in treating cancer outside the cancer cells. It is also available in capsule form and is used for a variety of conditions that are common side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

2- Natural treatment options for psoriasis

As well as treating pain, capsaicin has long been known for its ability to treat a range of skin conditions, including psoriasis. Substance P appears to be an effective treatment for this condition, with research showing that taking organic capsaicin capsules leads to a dramatic reduction in psoriasis symptoms on the skin.

3- Natural remedies for baldness and hair loss

Capsaicin strengthens thinning hair and accelerates its growth. Capsaicin activates nerves and increases blood flow to the scalp. This increases the absorption of nutrients and improves hair growth.
A study conducted in Japan by the Department of Translational Medical Research at Nagoya University showed that the combination of capsaicin, the main component of organic fruitescens pepper, stimulated hair growth in mice and humans suffering from alopecia (hair loss that leaves the skin partially or completely bare).

This is because the increased blood supply resulting from vasodilation brings nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles, providing them with all the substances they need for their metabolic activity. The local blood supply is also stimulated by regular scalp massage, a practice generally recommended to combat hair loss.

4- Information on Gerbils

In a study on gerbils, scientists also found that capsaicin was effective against gastritis caused by H. pylori, a stomach infection caused by bacteria that invade the inner lining of the stomach. This problem is of particular concern in developing countries where living conditions are poor and H. pylori bacteria are most prevalent. In this study, capsaicin combined with piperine reduced the inflammation caused by the virus and was therefore considered a useful means of potentially preventing the next stage of this bacterial infection: gastric cancer.

The Main Benefits of Capsaicin are

Reduces the Effects of Facial Pain and Headaches

The use of capsaicin is a common pain relief technique. This natural analgesic can be used as a specific painkiller, usually in capsule form, for facial vascular angina. Unlike headaches or migraines, these recurrent and specific headaches are described by most people as the worst pain they have ever experienced, with some women comparing the pain to childbirth.

Although rare, vascular facial pain is disabling and can last from six to twelve weeks. There are many useful lifestyle and dietary options for treating it, including taking capsaicin capsules. A study conducted by the Institute of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Florence, Italy, found that when people took capsules of organic capsaicin, the frequency of their headaches decreased for up to 60 days after use.

Relieves Pain

Capsaicin relieves pain. It appears that capsaicin provides analgesic relief by activating the TRPV1 receptor, which causes the brain to release a neurotransmitter called « substance P ».
In capsule form, it has been used for many years to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, as well as certain types of joint pain.

More recently, researchers have investigated a method of injecting highly purified capsaicin into damaged cartilage and tendons. Although this did not speed up the healing process as originally predicted, it did significantly alter pain responses, making it a good pain treatment for this condition.

Helps Manage Diabetes

Like many healthy foods, capsaicin is very useful in the prevention and management of diabetes. Eating nutrient-rich foods has been shown to improve blood glucose and insulin responses in men and women, as well as in women with gestational diabetes.
A painful condition associated with diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, can also be treated with capsaicin capsules to reduce pain.

Promotes Weight Loss

If you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to consider eating foods rich in capsaicin, such as chillies. Eating spicy foods has been linked to lower body weight. It also speeds up the metabolism, helps burn fat and reduces appetite.
This organic pepper is therefore ideal for combating feelings of hunger and overweight. Its virtues have been extolled for years and it can be used to combat obesity. By putting the metabolism into high gear, it increases the body’s energy expenditure and prevents fat from accumulating around the hips and stomach.

Taiwanese researchers have demonstrated the slimming properties of this organic pepper. In fact, the organic capsaicin it contains directly induces fat cell precursors to commit suicide. To do this, organic capsaicin damages the mitochondria of the precursor cells, depriving them of their own energy material. It also acts on a molecule responsible for cell death.

This may also benefit those who combine sport with a specific weight loss programme, as capsaicin consumption improves sporting performance and overall physical endurance.

Anti-ageing Thanks to Antioxidants

Capsaicin is a molecule from the flavonoid family that is able to fight free radicals, the harmful substances produced by the oxygen we breathe, ageing, pollution, the sun, etc. Antioxidants in the diet counteract these attacks, known as « oxidative stress ».

Diabetic Neuropathy

In one study, researchers randomly assigned capsaicin capsules or a placebo to treat 250 people with painful diabetic neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes in which nerves are damaged, often in the legs and feet. Patients taking capsaicin capsules reported an almost 70 per cent reduction in their symptoms.
« With the exception of the initial transient burning sensation, capsaicin offers several advantages over oral analgesics. » This was reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Protecting the Colon

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that this chilli compound, by activating a receptor on the cells that line the intestine, triggers a protective response against the risk of colon tumours.

Appetite suppressant, appetite regulator
A 2009 study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that organic capsaicin reduces appetite, leading to reduced calorie consumption and fat loss. In the same year, a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition showed that organic capsaicin reduced a hormone called ghrelin, which is known to stimulate hunger.

How can capsaicin be used?

The easiest way to get capsaicin into your system is to eat foods that contain it, i.e. all types of chilli peppers except sweet peppers, which do not contain capsaicin due to a recessive gene. If you’re not used to eating spicy foods, it’s best to buy capsaicin as a supplement in capsule form, as you won’t get the burning sensation in your mouth.

Conclusion

Among other things, capsaicin can help prevent cancer, fight diabetes and even relieve pain. Capsaicin belongs to a family of molecules called vanilloids. As anti-cancer molecules, they do this by literally sticking to the proteins of mitochondria, the essential organelles of cells, and causing them to die. But what’s most remarkable is that vanilloids kill cancer cells without harming the healthy cells surrounding the tumour.