A combination of compounds in ginger (6-gingerol) and chili peppers (capsaicin) prevented the formation of lung cancer in 80% of mice.

The capsaicin alone did not prevent cancer (and even slightly accelerated it) while the 6-gingerol alone prevented cancer in 50% of the animals. 6-gingerol has been shown to potently suppress inflammatory pathways such as TNF-α.