Now That's A Spicy Medicine

[Celebration]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/15/health/webmd/main1407570.shtml

(WebMD) A natural chemical found in hot peppers may become a tool in treating prostate cancer.

The chemical is called capsaicin. It puts the kick in jalapenos, habaneros, and other hot peppers.

A study in Cancer Research shows that capsaicin thwarted prostate cancer cells in lab tests. Capsaicin prompted cancer cells to die and curbed tumor growth, the study shows.

However, capsaicin wasn’t tested on people. The experiments were done on prostate cancer cells, including those injected into mice.

It goes on to say that it works by inhibiting NFKappaB. I guess that is how it works in creams for various arthritic things. I don't think capsaicin is patentable, though. If not there are no $$ for testing.

[BOSSHOG]

1. I've been woofing down Capsaicin for years

in the form of jalapenos and peppers and onions. Love that spicy food and if its a positive for my health I'll have to eat more. Nothing like a Habanero to set your head on fire. Check out:

http://www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/menu_planning/summer_cookout_guide_main.cfm

Its Disney World for pepper lovers.

[hobbit709]

2. Tabasco is for wimps

Come to Austin for the Hot Sauce contest. I make what I call my Thermonuclear hot sauce- it has Habaneros, Thai Bird Peppers and Red Jalopenos in it.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I'd expect such an editorial

from a Texan. Thermonuclear hot sauce. Is that all you got?

[hobbit709]

4. Naw. got lots more

I believe that in cooking, you can't use too much garlic. I probably go through a pound of hot peppers of all kinds in 10 days or so.

[BOSSHOG]

5. Garlic is the "secret" ingredient

in a good crawfish berl. In a couple of weeks I'll get my small pepper crop planted. They not only taste good they make a very nice plant on and around the patio. If you get the opportunity, go to Avery Island (The Tabasco Sauce Disney World) It really is a very nice place.

[Warpy]

6. Best sore throat treatment in the world

Pour a glass of water. Put a pinch of ground cayenne into it so that the pepper forms a translucent film on the surface. Take sips when your throat bothers you.

After the fourth sip or so, all those nasty little pain transmitters are out of Substance P and your throat feels a whole lot better.

This is the theory behind using a topical cream for arthritis, although it didn't work on me.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. From Scofield to Nong Shim

Edited to remove poorly-functioning photo link

If you consistently eat food with Capsaicin, your perception of the "heat" or the "burn" decreases. So people who brag about how hot they like their food -- try impressing me with a couple of prime habañeros after a 30-day "cooling off" period.

:evilgrin:

Capsaicin has been shown to have a number of beneficial effects. For those of us who are connoisseurs of flavor (or interested in the therapeutic effects), taking capsules of Cayenne is a good way to build your levels of Capsaicin/Substance P up. And once you can stand a high level of the chemical heat, you'll be able to savor the underlying exotic taste of the peppers.

My own recent discovery is Korean cooking. (It's not recent to the Koreans, though!) They like lots of spice, too, including a seriously hot fermented cabbage called Kimchi (sometimes spelled Kim Chee). Nong Shim makes a series of spicy soups -- Bowl Noodle -- that cost about a buck and a half if you find them in stores. Hot AND yummy. And good for you, too. I find that a single spice packet is good for two full bowls, and I can sip the broth for some time, which also clears the sinuses and opens the ears.

I'm not a big promoter of the food-is-medicine mindset, but this is some good stuff.

People with high blood pressure, take note: they have a relatively large amount of salt in them, but for many people the spice has a mildly diuretic quality. I have hypertension, but they also make me pee, and that reduces my blood pressure a little. An occasional salty soup shouldn't be risky for most hypertensives, but experiment with care!

Bowl Noodle soups cost about $1.79 at 7-11 and $1.49 at most grocery stores that carry them, but they're under a dollar by mail order. Here's one good place to order them from:

Noodle Son

Nong Shim page at Noodle Son

Some of the other stuff is also tasty; most are well worth a try.

Vegetal (no, that's NOT a typo)
Spicy Chicken ("Pollo")
Picante

Some stores also carry shrimp ("Camarron")

--p!
I am not a paid representative for Nong Shim or Noodle Son LLC.
But I will happily take store and merchandise credit.

[MockSwede]

8. Application?

I'd die, too, if I had this chemical applied to me. Have you looked at the concentration of it in these creams - 0.25% or so. The folks manufacturing these products work in chemical exposure suits because one whiff in the nose or smidge of dust on skin and they'd almost want to kill themselves because of the intense burning pain.

So, how are we gonna get it to the prostate in high enough concentration? Rectal massage, anyone? Last I knew the rectal tissue is just the same as the oral tissue, so that stuff would be like stuffing 5-alarm chili up your arse.... No thanks.

I'll just keep eating mine with my mouth!

[Kailassa]

9. Eating a heap of chilis is the best cure I know for synusitus.

My tom-cat loves chili too ... :shrug:

[bemildred]

10. Chiles rule. nt