In some instances I’ve read about deleterious results (gastric and skin cancers) from capsaicin and hot peppers. See, for example this research: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/139/3/263.short;
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100902121057.htm
Dr. Greger, can you help in clearing up this confusion and debate?
maybush1 / Originally posted on Are Chili Peppers Good For You?
Answer:
The ScienceDaily piece you mentioned appears to deal just with rodents, so you may not want to share salsa with your pet mouse, but as a physician I have a bias towards human data. Veterinarians like to joke that us doctors are really just inadequate vets as we know only one species—I guess there’s some truth to that! :)
The Mexico study you mention did certainly give the medical community pause (when it was performed 20 years ago) but later studies (including data suggesting a cancer-fighting effect) led the most recent reviewers of the subject to conclude chili peppers are safe as I note in Are Chili Peppers Good For You?
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