For many people, there’s nothing more satisfying than a hot, spicy meal.
But some research has suggested that capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick, might cause cancer.
Now scientists from The First Hospital Affiliated with Henan University found that the pungent compound in ginger, 6-ginergol, could counteract capsaicin’s potentially harmful effects.
In combination with the capsaicin, 6-gingerol could lower the risk of cancer.
The research is published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and was conducted by Jiahuan Li et al.
Both chili peppers and ginger are widely used spices in certain cuisines, particularly in Asia, and have been studied for potential health effects.
Although some studies have shown that peppers can have benefits, others suggest that diets rich in capsaicin might be linked to stomach cancer. Ginger, however, has shown promise as a health-promoting ingredient.
Oddly enough, capsaicin and 6-gingerol both bind to the same cellular receptor—one that is related to tumor growth.
In the study, the team fed mice prone to lung cancer either capsaicin or 6-gingerol alone, or a combination of both.
During the study period, all of the mice that received only capsaicin developed lung carcinomas while only half of the mice fed 6-gingerol did.
Surprisingly, an even lower percentage—only 20 percent—of the mice given both compounds developed cancer.
The researchers also dug into the potential molecular underpinnings of how the compounds interact to lead to this effect.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about how to reduce pancreatic cancer spread by nearly 90%, and what you need to know about cancer and booster shot.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies about new way to increase the longevity of cancer survivors, and results showing vitamin D could benefit men with advanced cancer.
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