Combination of ginger and chilli may prevent cancer, says study
Posted on: 14/Sep/2016 8:20:36 AM
A new study has said that new evidence suggests eating chilli and ginger together could help prevent cancer. Some earlier research has suggested that capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick, might cause cancer. However, the new study, conducted by the American Chemical Society, has shown in mouse studies 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. This study has been published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Over several weeks, the 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 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.
