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Study: Hot chili pepper component slows growth and kills laboratory-grown breast cancer cells

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Contents

At a glance                  In-depth
Findings               Limitations                
Questions for your doctor Resources
Guidelines  


STUDY AT A GLANCE

This study is about:

Early research showing potential ways to stop cells from growing in the laboratory.

Why is this study important?

Preliminary laboratory studies like these are important because they help researchers to understand how breast cancer cells differ from normal cells and to identify new drugs to treat the cancer.

Study findings: 

  1. TRPV1, a protein that has been shown to be involved in cancer growth, was found in 49 different breast cancer cells grown in the laboratory and in 11 tumor samples from breast cancer patients.
  2. samples had the most TRPV1 protein.
  3. Capsaicin, the spicy component of chili peppers, worked with TRPV1 protein in the laboratory grown cells to restrict their growth and cause them to die.

What does this mean for me?

This is very early research that could lead to new treatments. Laboratory studies like this one must be confirmed by more research and then tested in patients through clinical trials before they become part of recommended treatment. This study does not mean that chili peppers prevent or help treat cancer. 

While this study is not ready for clinical trials, many open trials are studying ways to treat all stages of . For now, patients with should talk to their health care providers about treatment options and discuss whether or not a clinical trial is a good option. In addition, all women with before age 60 meet national guidelines for genetic counseling and testing for mutations in or other genes that increase cancer risk.

Posted 2/14/17

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References

Weber LV, Al-Refae K, Wolk G, et al. “Expression and functionality of TRPV1 in breast cancer cells.” Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy, Volume 8 (2016): 243-252.  

Capsaicin Application.” Snopes.com. 

Disclosure

FORCE receives funding from industry sponsors, including companies that manufacture cancer drugs, tests and devices. All XRAYS articles are written independently of any sponsor and are reviewed by members of our Scientific Advisory Board prior to publication to assure scientific integrity.

This article is relevant for:

This research is not relevant to people yet

This article is also relevant for:

men with breast cancer

people with metastatic or advanced cancer

people with triple negative breast cancer

people newly diagnosed with cancer

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IN DEPTH REVIEW OF RESEARCH

Study background:

The TRPV1 protein detects harmful heat and helps pathways in your body to control pain relating to temperature changes. Extremely hot temperatures, acidic conditions and capsaicin, the spicy component of chili peppers, activate TRPV1. Previous researchers found that TRPV1 is involved in the growth of cancers, such as colon and pancreatic. However, it has not been studied as much in breast cancer, and its role in all of these cancers is not well understood.

Lea Weber and colleagues from Ruhr University Bochum and other institutions published work in the journal Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy in December 2016 to try and understand if and how TRPV1 protein is involved in breast cancer.

Researchers of this study wanted to know:

Is TRPV1 involved in breast cancer?

Population(s) looked at in the study:

This study included tumors from 11 different breast cancer patients and 49 different types of breast cancer cells grown in the laboratory.

Study findings: 

  1. TRPV1, a protein that has been shown to be involved in cancer growth, was found in 49 different breast cancer cells grown in the laboratory and 11 tumor samples from breast cancer patients.
  2. samples had the most TRPV1 protein.
  3. Capsaicin, the spicy component of chili peppers, activates the TRPV1 protein. Adding capsaicin to cells slowed their growth and caused them to die. 

Limitations:

While these findings are interesting, they come from a very early research study. The capsaicin treatment was used on cells grown in the laboratory, not on mice or humans. More work is needed to find out if this treatment works in animal models of breast cancer before it can be tested for human safety and effectiveness. At this time, we do not know if the lab response would be duplicated in human breast cancer patients.

It is also critical to understand that this experiment used pure capsaicin, the spicy component of chili peppers, which was likely much stronger than one would consume by eating chili peppers.  The research does not show if consuming chili peppers would have any effect.  This means that this study does not identify capsaicin as an ingredient to help people lower their breast cancer risk, treat breast cancer, or help prevent recurrence.   

Conclusions:

This research is an early study that suggests the TRPV1 protein may play a role in breast cancer, especially , because it was found in all of the breast cancer cells grown in the laboratory and from patient tumor samples. It also showed that adding capsaicin, the spicy component of chili peppers, helped stop the cells from growing. However, because this is very early research done in cells grown in the laboratory, much more work needs to be done before this can be applied in a health care setting. Women interested in participating in trials looking at new treatments for breast cancer are encouraged to ask their health care providers about clinical trials or visit the Research section of the FORCE website.

Reports of this research have been widely shared on social media.  Snopes, a website that validates or debunks news stories, has also stated that the claim that “capsaicin, the spice-causing molecule in chili peppers, can help beat breast cancer,” is unproven.

Posted 2/14/17

Share your thoughts on this XRAYS article by taking our brief survey

Expert Guidelines
Expert Guidelines

Dietary Supplements

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines on survivorship include the following recommendations on dietary supplement use:

  • Taking dietary supplements is not recommended for most cancer survivors unless a patient has a known nutritional deficit, an inadequate diet or other indication (for example, ).
  • Little data exist to support the use of vitamins or other dietary supplements for cancer prevention, control or recurrence.
  • Taking vitamin supplements does not replace the need for a healthy diet. Patients should try to get nutrients from the foods they eat and the beverages they drink.
  • Providers should ask about supplement use at regular intervals, about a patient’s reasons for using supplements and the ingredients in those supplements.
  • Survivors of certain cancers are at risk of vitamin deficiencies based on cancer treatment (e.g., gastric cancer patients who have had a gastrectomy may be at risk of vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies).
  • NCCN recommends calcium and vitamin D supplements for people who have been prescribed denosumab or a bisphosphonate to treat bone or .
  • Patients taking multiple supplements and those in need of nutritional support should be referred to a registered dietitian or nutritionist, preferably one who is trained in supporting oncology patients. 

Updated: 05/20/2022

Questions To Ask Your Doctor
Questions To Ask Your Doctor

  • I have triple-negative breast cancer; should I consider genetic testing?
  • I have triple-negative breast cancer; should I consider a clinical trial?
  • I have and a mutation in the gene; what treatment should I consider?
  • What genetic markers is my tumor being tested for?
  • What is the difference between testing for genetic markers in my tumor and testing for gene mutations in my blood, cheek swab or saliva sample?

Open Clinical Trials
Open Clinical Trials

The following studies are looking at integrative medical care for people diagnosed with cancer.

Multiple cancer types

Breast cancer

Gynecologic cancer

cancer

 

Updated: 06/06/2024

Open Clinical Trials
Open Clinical Trials

The following are studies focused on nutrition for people diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Visit our Featured Research Page and Research Search and Enroll Tool to find additional studies enrolling people with or at high risk for cancer.

Updated: 05/31/2024

Peer Support
Peer Support

The following organizations offer peer support services for people with, or at high risk for breast cancer:

Updated: 05/07/2024

Find Experts
Find Experts

The following resources can help you locate a nutritionist near you or via telehealth

Finding nutritionists

  • You can find a registered dietician in your area through Eatright.org, the website for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Search for nutritionists by specialty, including "cancer," "weight management" and "heart health."


Related experts

  • The Livestrong at the YMCA program includes a free 12-week membership and fitness training with certified exercise experts. You can search by zip code for a program near you.  


Other ways to find experts

  • Register for the FORCE Message Boards and post on the Find a Specialist board to connect with other people who share your situation. 
  • The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers have specialists to manage the symptoms and side effects of cancer prevention or treatment. 
  • FORCE partners with Savor Health® to provide free, personalized, evidence-based nutrition support 24/7 and “on-demand" through their text-based Intelligent Nutrition Assistant (Ina®). You can subscribe here

 

Updated: 11/20/2023

Who covered this study?

Medical News Today

Chili pepper compound can stop breast cancer, study finds This article rates 2.5 out of 5 stars

Newsmax

Chili peppers inhibit cancer growth This article rates 2.5 out of 5 stars

University Herald

How eating curry can help kill breast cancer cells This article rates 2.5 out of 5 stars

Yahoo News

Spicy foods might hold the key to a breast cancer cure This article rates 2.5 out of 5 stars

How we rated the media

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