Get Fresh with Ginger Tonight

If you're cooking in the kitchen with ginger, chances are you're lowering your risk of cancer.

Every pantry should be stocked with this knobby-looking rootstock spice. It possesses two cancer-inhibiting compounds, 6-gingerol and 6-paradol, and it lends a warm, pungent twist to dishes, especially fish. In fact, you may be most familiar with the pickled ginger that is often served with sushi. For the most benefit, choose fresh over pickled whenever possible; simply peel, shred, and mince the root into foods, such as this Asian Salmon.

Other spices that may boost your ability to reduce cancer risk include garlic and onion. And, incidentally, their flavors pair very well with ginger's in soup and stir-fry dishes. Garlic is rich in allicin, a compound that has been shown to restrict the growth of certain cancer cells. Onion is rich in quercetin, a polyphenol that has been shown to inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. You'll find many recipes that use onion in RealAge's Recipe Finder.

Inhibition of epidermal growth factor-induced cell transformation and activator protein 1 activation by [6]-gingerol. Bode, A. M., Ma, W. Y., Surh, Y. J., Dong, Z., Cancer Research 2001 Feb 1; 61(3): 850-853.