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Capsaicin, the substance responsible for the spicy flavor of chili peppers, is known primarily as an ingredient in spices and slimming pills. Capsaicin has numerous healing, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Capsaicin has another application as well, as it is used in the production of numerous aerosols, such as e.g. pepper spray. Check how capsaicin works.

Capsaicinis an organic chemical, an alkaloid, responsible for the pungent and searing taste of chili peppers. Capsaicin acts on pain receptors (nociceptors), i.e. directly on the receptors of the nervous system. These send signals to the brain that are perceived as a sensation of pain and a feeling of heat. Hence the burning sensation in the mouth.

Capsaicin dissolves in alcohol and fats. Therefore, the most common mistake made by people who have eaten food containing this substance is to drink a lot of water. To get rid of the burning sensation in the mouth, rinse it with vegetable fat or drink a glass of fat milk. Eating ice cream or drinking alcohol will also bring relief.

For making spices or slimming pills, capsaicin is obtained from annual peppers and chili peppers.

Capsaicin - anti-cancer properties

Capsaicinhas numerous healing properties, however, it is widely regarded as acancer drug . Capsaicin has been shown to both protect against cancer development and inhibit existing cancer cells. Capsaicin protects against metabolism, binding to DNA and mutagenic effects of such carcinogenic compounds, such as:1

The chemopreventive effect of capsaicin is related primarily to the influence on the functioning of liver enzymes, which play a key role in the activation or detoxification of various mutagens and carcinogens.

  • nitrosamine - is a carcinogenic compound contained in tobacco, which is activated by microsomal liver enzymes. Capsaicin has been shown to protect against the formation of mutagenic nitrosamine metabolites by inhibiting the action of these enzymes
  • aflatoxin B1 - is a mycotoxin produced by fungi of the genusAspergillus (aspergillus) is activated when metabolized by the liver and then binds to cellular DNA and damages it. Capsaicin reduced the binding of aflatoxin B1 to DNA by modifying the activity of liver enzymes in rats.
  • vinyl carbamate - topical administration of capsaicin in mice also prevents vinyl carbamate-induced skin cell carcinogenesis

In vitro studies on urinary T24 tumor cells in mice have shown that, depending on the dose, capsaicin may depolarize the mitochondrial membrane, resulting in cell death. It has therefore been suggested that this alkaloid can be used in the treatment of bladder cancer.2

Capsaicin has also been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in mice.3

Capsaicin for Alzheimer's

A group of scientists from China conducted a study on rats on a high-fat diet in which type 2 diabetes was deliberately induced as a research model for developing Alzheimer's disease.4Animals fed capsaicin with caused by diabetes and diabetic rodents fed with traditional food. He althy rats fed with capsaicin and those on a traditional diet also participated in the experiment. The scientists analyzed the following parameters: blood glucose level, insulin level and the so-called insulin resistance index. HOMA-IR. It was observed that capsaicin added to the diet of Alzheimer's model animals significantly reduced the phosphorylation of tau [a type of protein found almost exclusively in nerve cells], thereby preventing [neurodegenerative] changes in the brain in Alzheimer's disease.

Capsaicin for slimming

In 2010, scientists at Daegu University in Korea5showed that the concentrations of proteins related to thermogenesis and fat metabolism changed with the use of capsaicin (in the case of animal models). Studies on the effect of capsaicin on body weight were also conducted on humans by Danish scientists from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University6 , but a combination of capsaicin, tyrosine and caffeine was used at that time. Therefore, the effectiveness and safety of the use of new slimming products require unequivocal confirmation with further scientific research.

Capsaicin - antibacterial properties

The inhibitory effect of capsaicin on the development of various bacterial species, such asSalmonella typhimuriumorPseudomonas aeruginosa .7Capsaicin has also been proven to inhibit the growth ofHelicobacterpylori , the most common cause of peptic ulcer disease.8The scale of capsaicin activity depends on its concentration, as well as the resistance of microorganisms to it, e.g. the development ofEscherichia coli(coliform) is inhibited only at very high concentrations of capsaicin.

Capsaicin and stomach ulcers

In the prevention of most diseases of the digestive system, it is common to use the principle of avoiding spicy foods in the daily diet. However, Hungarian scientists from the Medical University of Pécs showed that the regular use of low doses of capsaicin in a group of he althy people reduced the risk of gastric ulcers, the etiology of which was associated with increased ethanol consumption or aspirin intake.9On the other hand, however, they indicate that capsaicin in high concentrations has a negative effect on the gastric mucosa.10

Capsaicin - application in medicine

Pure capsaicin , unlike the one used in the food industry, is highly toxic, so it is mainly used in medicine in the form of ointments and patches, as a medicine that warms the joints and muscles.

Capsaicin as pepper spray

Capsaicin is also an ingredient in pepper spray. Its amount in gas does not exceed 15%. Due to the capsaicin content, pepper spray works by inducing a strong burning sensation combined with difficulty breathing and keeping eyes open, and confusion. Therefore, it is an effective tool for self-defense.

Important

Capsaicin - Toxicity

Capsaicin has healing properties only in small doses. It is a highly toxic substance in high doses. The lethal dose of capsaicin was estimated at about 56-512 mg / kg body weight (depending on the source), which classifies it as a moderately toxic substance. Respiratory disturbances are believed to be a factor causing death from exposure to too much alkaloid.

Bibliography:

1. Olszewska J., CAPSAICIN - DRUG OR POISON ?, Cosmos. Problem of Biological Sciences 2010, vol 59, no 1-2

2. Capsaicin mediates cell death in bladder cancer T24 cells through reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial depolarization: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19592070

3. Capsaicin, a component of red peppers, inhibits the growth of androgen-independent, p53 mutant prostate cancer cells: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16540674

4. Capsaicin reduces Alzheimer-associated tau changes in the hippocampus of type 2 diabetes rats, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28225806

5. Proteomic analysis forantiobesity potential of capsaicin on white adipose tissue in rats fed with a high fat diet, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20359164

6. Body fat loss achieved by stimulation of thermogenesis by a combination of bioactive food ingredients: a placebo-controlled, double-blind 8-week intervention in obese subjects, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16652130

7. Antibacterial activity of Capsicum extract against Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa inoculated in raw beef meat: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12745238

8. Anti-inflammatory effect of capsaicin in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric epithelial cell: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17760719

9. Gastroprotection induced by capsaicin in he althy human subjects: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16127749

10. Studies on the effect of intragastric capsaicin on gastric ulcer and on the prostacyclin-induced cytoprotection in rats: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8866836

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