Capsaicin, the compound that gives chilli peppers their kick, has been previously associated with cancer. Now, researchers show in studies with mice that the pungent compound in ginger, 6-gingerol, could counteract capsaicin’s potentially harmful effects. In combination with the capsaicin, 6-gingerol could lower the risk of cancer, they say. The study appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry . Researchers 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 per cent — of the mice given both compounds developed cancer.
