Pepper 'kills prostate cancer' Pepper 'kills prostate cancer' Jalapeno peppers are used to flavour chilli The ingredient which makes jalapeno peppers hot also makes prostate cancer cells commit suicide, a study suggests. Tests showed that capsaicin triggered 80% of the cells to start the process leading to cell death. The US research in the journal Cancer Research also found tumours treated with capsaicin were smaller. UK prostate experts say capsaicin could be the basis of a future drug but warned eating too many hot peppers has been linked to stomach cancer. We caution men with prostate cancer in the UK against upping their weekly intake of the hottest known chillies Chris Hiley, The Prostate Cancer Charity In the study, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center studied mice who had been genetically modified to have human prostate cancer cells. They were given a dose of pepper extract equivalent to a man of 200 pounds (90.7kg) taking 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week. That would be the same as having between three and eight fresh habanero peppers - the highest rated peppers for capsaicin content. Normal cells go through a constant process where millions die every second - a process called apoptosis - while millions more are made, to keep the numbers the same. But cancer cells avoid that process and "dodge" apoptosis by mutating or deregulating the genes that participate in programmed cell suicide. Capsaicin was seen to increase the amount of certain proteins involved in the apoptosis process. Capsaicin also reduced the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein whch is often produced in high quantities by prostate tumours. Fish intake Dr Soren Lehmann, who led the study, said: "Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture. "It also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumours." Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: "This is interesting laboratory-based work on cells but we don't yet know how, if at all, it might help men with prostate cancer. "Eventually, it may be possible to extract the capsaicin and make it available as a drug treatment. "In the meantime we caution men with prostate cancer in the UK against upping their weekly intake of the hottest known chillies - high intake of hot chillies has been linked with stomach cancers in the populations of India and Mexico. "For now, if men with prostate cancer want to improve their diet they should avoid fatty foods, eat less red and processed meat, increase their fish intake and enjoy a wide and plentiful range of fruit and vegetables every day." BBC News March 15, 2006 HOT CHILLI SAUCE - IT'S THE POWER OF RAWK! - By John Houlihan Tuesday 9th March 2004 Click HERE to read article. Red-hot chili peppers Sauces Boston Phoenix Spetember 6, 2003 Click HERE to read. Putting his money with his mouth is... Putting his money with his mouth is...By Patrick Golden / Tribune Staff Writer Thursday, July 3, 2003. Click HERE to read. Playing With Fire Playing with fire: Food Network films segment in Waltham on creator of guitarist Joe Perry's hot sauce - Waltham Daily News Tribune July 3, 2003. Click HERE to read. Boston Globe Some Like It Very Hot Boston Globe article about supper hot sauces and Ashley Food Company. Click HERE to read. Mad Dog Sauces for U.S. Special Forces stationed in Afghanistan Dedham, Massachusetts, April 15, 2002--Ashley Food Company, Inc.- Markers of Mad Dog, Mad Cat and Idiot Boyz hot sauces, at the request of Chapter 38, Special Forces Association has made a donation of their products to U.S. Special Forces stationed in Afghanistan. According to John Senatore, moral support officer, Chapter 38, Special Forces Association "We need some hot sauce to make their meals taste better". David Ashley, President of Ashley Food Co. Inc. announced that the company along with Sauce Crafters Inc. had sent 94 cases of Freedom sauce as well as an assortment of 25 cases of the other hot sauces that Ashley Food and Sauce Crafters make. Freedom sauce, according to Ashley was created to raise money for the victims of 9/11 by Ashley Food and Sauce Crafters. Among the other products sent was 357 Mad Dog, billed as "The Hottest Sauce In The World", Mad Cat, Green Amigo, Idiot Boyz, Colon Cleaner, Rectal Rocket Fuel and Widow No Survivors. Ashley Food Company hopes that in some small way this lends support to our men and women risking their lives to stop the worldwide menace of terrorism. Great Books "Dante's Inferno" on The Learning Channel Mad Dog Inferno Hot Sauce was featured in a Cronkite Ward & Roland House feature on " Great Books" Inferno on February 16th, 2002 10 PM EST on TLC.