6-shogaol (ginger) for cancer

6-Shogaol is a substance extracted from the ginger plant. It is named after the Japanese word for ginger shoga. The rhizome, or ginger bulb, has been used as a spice and medicinal plant for thousands of years, especially in East Asia. Its components act against viruses and bacteria, stimulate the flow of bile and have effects against nausea and vomiting. Ginger has a special use in complementary oncology in the form of tea or tablets for chemotherapy-related nausea.

6-Shogaol is a substance extracted from the ginger plant. It is named after the Japanese word for ginger shoga. The rhizome, i.e. the bulb of the ginger plant, has been used as a spice and medicinal plant for thousands of years, especially in East Asia. Its ingredients work against viruses and bacteria, stimulate the flow of bile and have effects against nausea and vomiting. Ginger has a special use in complementary oncology in the form of tea or tablets for chemotherapy-related nausea.

Ginger contains so-called pungent substances, which are substances that irritate the pain and heat receptors in the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat. One of these groups of substances are the shogaols, which have become the focus of scientific interest in recent years. While the 6-Shogaol occurs in small amounts in the fresh tuber, the content increases when it is dried and heated.

6-Shogaol appears to have anti-cancer effects for several reasons. It has long been known that tumor cells increasingly metabolize glucose, i.e. glucose. This is partly due to the fact that the sugar in the cancer cell is not broken down completely, but only down to lactic acid. This process, called fermentation, provides sixteen times less energy than the complete breakdown, called combustion. There are also additional metabolic pathways in cancer cells, such as the TKTL-1 pathway, which require more glucose. 6-Shogaol inhibits the uptake of glucose into the tumor cell and also puts it under stress by forming ROS[1]. ROS are reactive oxygen compounds in which split-off oxygen atoms attack cell structures and thus destroy bacteria, viruses and also tumor cells. And the amazing thing is: 6-Shogaol only shows this effect on cancer cells, not on healthy ones!

Another process that is typical for cancer cells is the formation of inflammatory messengers. Through this, the cancerous tissue simulates a non-healing wound and manipulates the immune system to support it by supplying nutrients and building blood vessels. 6-Shogaol inhibits the release of inflammatory messengers from the cancer cells. These include, for example, TNF-alpha, Il-1β, Il-6 and the transcription factor NFκB[2], which the Canadian scientist Servan-Schreiber calls the black knight of cancer. By inhibiting inflammation, it is easier for the immune system to recognize and attack the cancerous tissue. One difference between healthy cells and cancer cells is that the latter are not able to die after a defined, programmed time. This is called apoptosis. Cancer cells are almost immortal. Cancerous tissue also lacks the ability of healthy tissue to cleanse and regenerate itself, known as autophagy. The 6-Shogaol can also apply here. It stimulates tumor cells to autophagy and apoptosis and thus drives them into programmed cell death[3]. But the so-called tumor stem cells are also attacked by 6-Shogaol. They are one of the main problems in oncology. Since cytostatics only attack dividing cells and tumor stem cells divide very slowly, they are unassailable. Fortunately, there is an abundance of natural substances that can destroy stem cells. In addition to 6-Shogaol, there is curcumin, resveratrol, EGCG from green tea, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, both of which are found in broccoli, among other things. [1]

But what about when you combine 6-Shogaol with chemotherapy drugs? The concern of many oncologists is that natural substances will weaken them. Studies have also shown here that 6-shogaol, like curcumin, increases the effect of cytostatics[2].

In addition, however, it is also possible to test the possible effectiveness on the respective tumor cells of the patient.

Another similarity to curcumin is its poor oral availability due to its impossibility in water. Research also shows that a liposomal preparation helps improve absorption[3]. Liposomes are molecules that have a water-soluble and a water-repellent side and that group together in the form of droplets. Fat-soluble substances can now be trapped in these droplets and transported better through the intestines via the blood and lymphatic system into the tissue. To circumvent this problem, it has been possible for some time to use 6-Shogaol as an infusion.

The similarity in the mechanism of action and the chemical behavior of 6-shogaol and curcumin is striking. However, this is no coincidence. Both molecules are very similar. In fact, 6-Shogaol looks like a curcumin molecule split down the middle.

So far there have only been cell and animal experiments on 6-Shogaol, but no studies on humans. The previous scientific knowledge but suspect that it could be an important cancer drug.