How hot can you handle your spice?

If you're one to shy away from the vindaloo, classing yourself as more of a korma-kinda kid, it may be time to man up.

New evidence suggests eating chilli and ginger together could help prevent cancer.

3 Eating chilli, combined with ginger, can protect against cancer, a new study has revealed Credit: Getty Images

3 Scientists discovered compounds in the two spices work together to stop the growth of tumours in the lungs of mice Credit: Getty Images

Scientists believe the fiery peppers when combined with ginger could help fight the deadly disease.

Past studies have suggested capsaicin, that gives chillis their kick, may cause cancer.

But the new findings suggest the pungent compound in ginger, 6-ginergol, could counteract the potentially harmful effects of capsaicin.

Both chilli and ginger are widely used spices, particularly in Asian cuisine, and scientists have long studied their potential health benefits.

Yet, some past research has pointed to negative health effects.

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Scientists have suggested people who are addicted to spicy food and whose diets are rich in capsaicin might be at greater risk of stomach cancer.

But. the new findings provide more hopeful results.

The researchers at the American Chemical Society, found ginger when eaten in combination with chilli peppers actually help fight cancer.

The two key compounds, capsaicin and 6-gingerol both bind to the same receptor on cells - one that is also linked to tumour growth.

3 While capsaicin, from chilli peppers, alone was found to increase the risk of disease, when combined with 6-gingerol, the compound that gives ginger its pungent smell, the risk of cancer was significantly lowered Credit: Getty Images

Over the course of several weeks, researchers fed mice prone to lung cancer either capsaicin or 6-gingerol alone, or a combination of the two compounds.

They found those mice fed just capsaicin alone were more likely to develop lung tumours.

But, only half of the mice fed 6-gingerol developed the disease.

Surprisingly, the team found an even lower percentage - just 20 per cent - of the mice given capsaicin and 6-gingerol together developed lung cancer.

Future studies will focus on exactly how the compounds interact to help reduce cancer risk, the researchers hope.

The findings are published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.