Pick a peck of hot peppers When I was a kid, I heard all sorts of horror stories about what hot peppers could do to you from burning a hole through your stomach to giving you an ulcer. Contrary to those wild tales, peppers aren't toxic at all. First of all, hot peppers contain even more vitamin C than oranges. Also, capsaicin, the hotshot chemical in peppers, is an anticoagulant, so it may help prevent heart attacks and strokes. But the latest pepper research shows that capsaicin (and a related compound called resiniferatoxin) may even be useful for skin cancer. When applied to human skin cells, this substance caused the cancerous ones to dies (most likely for lack of oxygen). The compounds may eventually be used in skin patches or creams that could treat or prevent skin cancers.
Chili peppers are quite nutritious, and I'm a firm believer that everyone should include them in their diet. Even if you have a "weak stomach", give them a try; you might be pleasantly surprised. Keeping the heat on the medical mainstream,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD | 
