A Canadian study underlines the virtues of capsaicin, the compound at the origin which “burns our mouth”.
Capsaicin. A word as hard to pronounce correctly the first time as to swallow! Because it is neither more nor less than a natural chemical compound of the chilli pepper strong, the one that pushes us to insane grimaces as it is powerful in the mouth.
But besides its ability to give our food a boost, can hot pepper heal us? In any case, this is what a study by the University of Montreal suggests.
A burn that… Relieves
According to them, when capsaicin is applied to the skin in the form of a cream, it is able to relieve certain arthritis pain or that linked to postherpetic neuralgia, which is the most frequent complication of zone.
And the effect on the skin is similar to tasting, that is, a burning sensation occurs, along with redness and inflammation. But the pain would be relieved at the same time. Pr Réjean Couture, from the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Montreal, explains the reason: “It may seem paradoxical, but it’s like fighting fire with fire: capsaicin activates a pain receptor located at the peripheral end of the sensory neurons which, under this effect, are emptied of all the mediators responsible for indicating pain at brain !”, reports the site WhyDoctor?.
And in food version?
By consuming it as food, the virtues become antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and preventative of obesity. In their study, the researchers indicate that the substance “might influence the life cycle of cancer cells by promoting apoptosis, programmed cell death, a mechanism that no longer functions normally in cancer cells (…) Capsaicin would have the virtue of participating in the destruction of certain between them. Then, the molecule would have antiobesogenic properties, such as increasing energy expenditure and the feeling of satiety”.
However, scientists acknowledge that these conclusions only apply to tests. in vitro, so not yet on humans. Valérie Marcil, professor in the department of nutrition from the University of Montreal, explains why their study is limited by this fundamental aspect: “it is like that with all nutrients, they are only eaten as part of food and these are not medicines since their effects, even if real, are often only the result of a combination of factors”.
However, a German study published in the spring of 2021 has already demonstrated that capsaicin can treat bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics.
