HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Chili Peppers Reduce Cancer

Good news for spicy food lovers; the active ingredient found in chili peppers - capsaicin - could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Researchers found that capsaicin - the ingredient that gives chili peppers their heat - activated a pain receptor in mice that reduced tumor development in their gut. The research team, including senior author Dr. Eyal Raz, professor of medicine at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine, found that capsaicin activated a pain receptor called TRPV1 in mice, which reduced tumor development in their gut.