Chili and ginger are said to be effective in protecting against lung cancer, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. These conclusions were obtained in mice.
This new study once again highlights the benefits of certain foods on our health. Chinese researchers have observed that 6-ginergol, a compound in ginger and capsaicin from chili peppers if consumed together, may have protective effects against lung cancer.
Pepper associated with ginger to fight against lung cancer
Researchers at Henan University in China carried out a study with mice that were genetically modified to easily develop the lung cancer. They fed them capsaicin or 6-gingerol alone or a combination of the 2.
Scientists observed that rodents fed capsaicin alone showed an increased risk of lung carcinoma. Only half of rodents fed with 6-gingerol alone were affected by this pathology. On the other hand, the mice fed with the 2 compounds had a risk of lung carcinoma limited to 20%.
“We have shown that the incidence of lung carcinoma increases with capsaicin. In contrast, the combination of 6-ginergol and capsaicin would have reversed the lung cancer risk multiplier effects of capsaicin, ”said Jiahuna Li, professor at the College of Pharmacy at Henan University and author of the study.
So far, researchers have not identified the molecular processes that explain how this interaction multiplies the anticancer effect of 6-gingerol.
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