Contrary to popular belief, ginger-a piquant addition to so many Asian dishes-isn’t a root, it’s a stem, which means it contains living compounds that improve your health. Chief among them is gingerol, a cancer suppressor that studies have shown to be particularly effective against that of the colon. Chop ginger or grind it fresh and add it to soymarinated fish or chicken as often as you can. The more you can handle, the better.