In Connecticut, researchers found that hot chili peppers are very similar to marijuana in offering a powerful gut healing biochemical reaction. The chemical that makes peppers spicy hot, capsaicin, binds to a receptor called TRPV1 which produces anandamide. Anandamide is an endogenous cannabinoid, similar to that found in marijuana, but produced by our own bodies. When researchers fed lab mice with chili peppers, the biochemical reaction led to less inflammation in their guts, and even more amazingly, they cured mice who had Type 1 diabetes. Researchers hope to work with Colorado public health officials to see if they are seeing gut healing and improvement of colitis and diabetes in patients since marijuana has been legal in Colorado since 2012.
Latest article
Crude awakening: Kapoor’s renewable-material protest art installed on Shell gas platform
In the North Sea, protest art made by Anish Kapoor, using renewable materials such as used coffee grounds and beetroot powder, has been installed...
Tiny Vinyl to release tiny, biobased PVC records
In the US, a startup called Tiny Vinyl has created cute, mini, vinyl records out of bio-attributed polyvinyl chloride. The 4-inch mini singles play...
Fun with Fungi: Japanese designers create mycelium block-growing kit
In Japan, designers have created a biomaterial kit for growing toy blocks out mycelium. Dubbed MYMORI, the kit includes block molds and a mycelium...