Wilbur Lincoln Scoville (January 22, 1865 – March 10, 1942) was an American pharmacist best known for his creation of the "Scoville Organoleptic Test", now standardized as the Scoville scale (or Scoville Heat Unit).

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Scoville

SHU for various Peppers:

http://pepperheadsforlife.com/the-scoville-scale/

(repost) Hot chili pepper compound kills cancer without side effects

Capsaicin -- the compound that makes chili peppers spicy -- can kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells, with no side effects, according to a new study by researchers at Nottingham University in the UK.

The study, led by Dr. Timothy Bates, found that capsaicin killed laboratory-grown lung and pancreatic cancer cells by attacking tumor cells' source of energy and triggering cell-suicide.

"This is incredibly exciting and may explain why people living in countries like Mexico and India, who traditionally eat a diet which is very spicy, tend to have lower incidences of many cancers that are prevalent in the Western world," Bates said.

"We appear to have discovered a fundamental weakness with all cancer cells. Capsaicin specifically targets cancerous cells, leading to the possibility that a drug based on it would kill tumors with few or no side effects for the patient," he said.

Bates and his research team found that when cancer cells were treated with capsaicin, the chili pepper compound attacked the tumor cells' mitochondria -- which generate ATP, the chemical that creates energy within the body. Capsaicin also bound to certain proteins within the cancer cells and triggered apoptosis -- natural cell death.

Bates noted that his team's capsaicin experiments resulted in cancer cell death without harming the healthy cells surrounding the tumors. The capsaicin compound also managed to kill both lung cancer cells -- a standard test for new cancer treatments -- and pancreatic cancer cells, which are exceptionally hard to kill.

"These results are highly significant, as pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and has a five-year survival rate of less than one percent," Bates said.

According to Josephine Querido, a cancer information officer with Cancer Research UK, Bates' study is promising and needs further research. However, since the experiment showed only that capsaicin extracts killed lab-grown cancer cells, eating large quantities of chili peppers may not yield the same results in humans.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021449_Capsaicin_chili_peppers.html#ixzz3xyMQZ9Ow

(repost) Stop the spread of cancer with chili peppers

Did you know the heat you feel after biting into a hot chili pepper is good for you? The compound capsaicin – that causes this pungent heat – is also found to kill cancer cells. In fact, in the last few years, the research on chili peppers has focused on many organs including, the pancreas, brain, prostate, colon and breast.

Do chili peppers harm healthy cells?

To date, there has been many studies on chili pepper’s ability to fight off cancer cells in many cancer affected organs. Among them, the 2006 study on prostate cancer cells drew more interest from researchers. Experiments, on the compound capsacisin reveal that this compound specifically targeted the tumors and cancerous cells without affecting the healthy cells.

It was found that capsaicin was able to do this by interfering with protein synthesis of the cancer cells, degradation of the cell DNA and interfering with cell transcription mechanisms of cancerous cells. While capsaicin affected the mitochondrial pathway of the cancer cells, there was no interference in the activity of healthy cells. This was observed in cancer-induced albino rats in lab studies.

A 2006 study published in Cancer Research revealed that capsaicin was effective in inhibiting prostate cancer cells. The study found that capsaicin promoted automated cell death in primary types of prostate cancer cell lines – as well as in cancer cells caused by hormones.

Furthermore, capsaicin decreased the expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and inhibited the ability of the dihydrotestosterone to activate PSA. When lab animals received four weeks of treatment with capsaicin, it was observed that prostate cancer growth and size significantly decreased.

Chili peppers do more than just prevent cancer

Compounds in chili peppers have been associated with multiple benefits like positive immune health, weight loss, lower risk of diabetes, and heart-healthy effects. A randomized, cross-over study among 27 healthy subjects revealed that consuming freshly chopped chili prevented the oxidation (free radical damage) to the fat cells – which was a crucial factor in decreasing heart problems.

Capsaicin is also anti-inflammatory in nature. It inhibits substance P, a neuropeptide associated with inflammation that results in pain, heart diseases and other conditions. Because of this property, it has been used in a variety of chemotherapy studies for pain relief and also in many treatments involving nerve fiber disorders, conditions like psoriasis, arthritis plus many more.

Researchers say, the hotter the pepper, the higher is its capsaicin content, good examples include habanero and scotch bonnet peppers followed by jalapeno.

Ways to use chili peppers in your next recipe

Chili peppers can give any bland recipe an interesting taste. So, the next time you sauté vegetables in a stir fry try adding some chili peppers to accentuate its health benefits as well as spice up a bit. Other ways to super-charge your recipes include, adding minced chili peppers to plain yoghurt as a salad dressing; in salsa for extra hot taste; pureeing a small amount with tomatoes or olives to give a surprising twist to your recipes.

Just be very careful when you are handling fresh chili peppers, direct contact with skin, lips and eyes can cause a severe burning sensation. Be sure to use cooking gloves instead of bare hands when using them for cooking.

Consuming chili peppers, in moderation, is considered safe, however if you are allergic to peppers or night shade family, it is a good idea to keep away from this spice. Another important point to keep in mind is to buy organic hot peppers instead of conventionally grown ones. According to the Environmental Working Group’s 2013 report, non-organic hot peppers are among the most toxic (pesticide sprayed) items on the market.

Source: http://www.naturalhealth365.com/0926_capsaicin_stop_cancer.html/ 

(repost) How spicy foods can kill cancers

Capsaicin in some peppers, attacks cancer cells' mitochondria Scientists have discovered the key to the ability of spicy foods to kill cancer cells. They found capsaicin, an ingredient of jalapeno peppers, triggers cancer cell death by attacking mitochondria - the cells' energy-generating boiler rooms. The research raises the possibility that other cancer drugs could be developed to target mitochondria. The Nottingham University study features in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. The study showed that the family of molecules to which capsaicin belongs, the vanilloids, bind to proteins in the cancer cell mitochondria to trigger apoptosis, or cell death, without harming surrounding healthy cells.   Capsaicin was tested on cultures of human lung cancer cells and on pancreatic cancers. Lead researcher Dr Timothy Bates said: "As these compounds attack the very heart of the tumour cells, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental 'Achilles heel' for all cancers. "The biochemistry of the mitochondria in cancer cells is very different from that in normal cells. "This is an innate selective vulnerability of cancer cells." He said a dose of capsaicin that could cause a cancer cell to enter apoptosis, would not have the same effect on a normal cell. Potential Drugs The fact that capsaicin and other vanilloids are already commonly found in the diet proves they are safe to eat. This could make development of a drug containing them a much quicker and cheaper process. Dr Bates said: "Capsaicin, for example, is already found in treatments for muscle strain and psoriasis - which raises the question of whether an adapted topical treatment could be used to treat certain types of skin cancer. "It's also possible that cancer patients or those at risk of developing cancer could be advised to eat a diet which is richer in spicy foods to help treat or prevent the disease." However, Josephine Querido, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "This research does not suggest that eating vast quantities of chilli pepper will help prevent or treat cancer. "The experiments showed that pepper extracts killed cancer cells grown in the laboratory, but these have not yet been tested to see if they are safe and effective in humans." Cancer Research UK recommends reducing the risk of cancer by eating a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables and fruit. Dr Bates added that the mitochondria in cancer cells could also be targeted by other compounds. He said the investigation and development of anti-mitochondrial drugs for cancer chemotherapy was likely to be "extremely significant" in the fight against cancer.    Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6244715.stm