One of the problems with antibiotics is that they will knock out both the bad guys and the good guys – leaving our guts in a state of microorganism void. Jalapeño Peppers don't have that problem. They inhibit disease-causing bacteria while at the same time boosting our probiotics.
This might not sound too bad except that the void is quickly filled by – you guessed it – pathogenic bacteria and yeast.
Because pathogenic bacteria and yeast – such as E. coli and Candida – are opportunistic and readily available in practically any environment, they will more quickly grow back when we purge the body with antibiotics.
This leaves the desperate situation where foods that typically require fermentation bacteria – probiotics - are not adequately digested.
Peppers for fighting infections
An age-old strategy for combating pathogenic bacteria without killing off one's precious probiotic bacteria is the use of peppers such as cayenne and jalapeño peppers for digestive disorders.
While the mechanisms for the success of these ancient strategies have been little understood, they nevertheless have been used by traditional herbalists over the centuries.
Now research from Mexico’s Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas has found the possible mechanism for the intestinal healing capability of jalapeño peppers.
The researchers tested a host of microorganisms with jalapeño extracts in the laboratory. They tested several probiotic bacteria, including Weissella cibaria, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paraplantarum, and Leuconostoc citreum.
They also tested plant-based probiotic bacteria – which live among plants just as our probiotics live in our intestines. These included Pantoea eucalypti, Pantoea anthophila, Enterobacter cowanii, and Enterobacter asburiae.
The researchers fermented and cultured each of these bacteria in addition to several pathogenic species, which included yeasts such as Hanseniaspora pseudoguilliermondii and Kodamaea ohmeri, as well as pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli.
The researchers found that while the lactobacilli such as L. plantarum became tolerant of the jalepeno extracts and were able to grow in numbers, the jalapeño extracts inhibited the growth of the pathogenic species including the yeasts and E. coli were significantly inhibited by the jalapeño extracts.
Furthermore, the researchers found that the main constituents providing these effects were the coumaric acid and ferulic acid, along with other jalapeño’s phenylpropanoids.
What are Phenylpropanoids?
Phenylpropanoids are produced by plants which contain phenyl groups. One of the most important phenylpropanoid is cinnamic acid, which by methylation produces coumaric and ferulic acids.Ferulic and coumaric acids have also been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth as well as bacteria infections. In a study from Malaysia’s University of Technology, researchers found that p-coumaric acid inhibited the growth of human colon cancer cells. This was accomplished, according to the research, by the biochemical producing cell death among the colon cancer cells.
Meanwhile, researchers from the Republic of Korea’s Yonsea University found that ferulic acid inhibited the growth of human cervical cancer cells. When particle sizes were reduced, increased cancer inhibition was found.
Cancer and Constant Jalapeño Consumption
While there is significant evidence that the therapeutic use of peppers may reduce pathogenic bacteria, there is reason to believe that the long-term intake of high amounts of chili peppers may not be so good for the stomach. A 2003 study from Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health found that eating between 9 and 25 of jalapeño peppers a day led to an increased risk of stomach cancer. This study reviewed 234 gastric cancer cases together with 468 matched control subjects over a three year period.These results, however, are not certain – as there may be additional variables. An earlier study from Yale University found higher risk, but when analyzing on a per-day consumption, found no increased risk of stomach cancer. This study analyzed 220 gastric cancer cases together with 752 matched human subjects, and found those who ate more peppers.
But a study from the University of Chile found a significantly increased risk of gallbladder cancer among those with a significant and long-term consumption of chilli pepper.
This would indicate that the heavily acidic nature of the acids such as coumaric and ferulic acid might be healthy – especially during times of intestinal infection – but a constant use over a long period has its drawbacks on the health of the stomach lining and potentially the liver.
This trend is not unlike a long-term consumption of a number of medicinal plants. They are best consumed as therapeutic foods (after consultation with a health professional) when there is an infection or other condition – but not on a constant basis.
REFERENCES:
González-Quijano GK, Dorantes-Alvarez L, Hernández-Sánchez H, Jaramillo-Flores ME, de Jesús Perea-Flores M, Vera-Ponce de León A, Hernández-Rodríguez C. Halotolerance and Survival Kinetics of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Jalapeño Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Fermentation. J Food Sci. 2014 Jul 17. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.12498.Kim HJ, Ryu K, Kang JH, Choi AJ, Kim TI, Oh JM. Anticancer activity of ferulic acid-inorganic nanohybrids synthesized via two different hybridization routes, reconstruction and exfoliation-reassembly. ScientificWorldJournal. 2013 Dec 25;2013:421967. doi: 10.1155/2013/421967.