New study links capsaicin in chili peppers to skin cancer

According to researchers, this component capsaicin possesses the ability to act as a carcinogen, especially at the stage when tumor is growing.

The component is also commonly found in over-the-counter available topical creams, used by people as a pain relief.

"Most notably, the results raise concerns that a natural compound found in hot peppers used in over-the-counter topical pain remedies might increase skin cancer risk," said lead study researcher Ann Bode at the Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, United States.

Besides Bode, other researchers who participated in the study included Hyong Joo Lee, Ki Won Lee, Nu Ry Song, and Sanguine Byun.

The new research study was funded by the Hormel Foundation, National Cancer Institute, and the Korean Research Foundation and study has been published as a cover story in the September issue of nation’s leading cancer journal 'Cancer Research.'

The new study is at its controversial best, as past studies have shown that when capsaicin is administered to a cancer patient it induces apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.

Key finding by researchers of new study
To come to this contradictory conclusion, researchers applied capsaicin on the outer skin of mice regularly for a stipulated period of time.

After the end of term, researchers were surprised to find out that the regular application of the component on mice, have resulted in skin cancer tumors. Some of them even ended up with more and larger skin cancer tumors than others.

As per Bode, the most critical thing found in this study was that capsaicin has the potential to induce inflammation, which might affect cancer development.

She also revealed that a known inflammatory enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was found to be highly affected when treated with capsaicin.

Consult physician
Bode advises that people should be more cautious when it comes to using topical creams for pain relief with capsaicin in them and are bought without consulting a physician first.

She went on to add that instead of self medication, one should always consult physician.

“I think people just need to be cautious in taking, or applying anything like that without, you know medical advice. The idea is that under certain circumstances, that long-term chronic application of anything might be a risk for developing skin cancer,” concluded Bode.