Benefits of Ginger

Benefits of ginger ... What can ginger do for your health?

What Are the Benefits of Ginger?

Ginger is a well known herb, especially when it comes to gastrointestinal problems. One of gingers historical uses is to help digestion and alleviate upset stomachs.

Let's start with looking at these digestive benefits of ginger.  Then we will delve into some of ginger's lesser known but just as potent benefits .....

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Benefits of Ginger for the Digestive System

1.  Morning Sickness

You or someone you know has probably experienced the nausea and vomiting induced by pregnancy.  A study with ginger versus pregnancy-induced vomiting/nausea, found that women in the ginger group had less vomiting and less nausea. (This study didn’t specify dose.)

Another study used 125 mg of ginger extract given 4 times a day for 4 days. The results for the ginger group were less nausea and retching, but the ginger didn’t seem to help the vomiting in this study.

These studies demonstrate that reduction of morning sickness is definitely one of the benefits of ginger. The differences in vomiting between the two studies could be the form of ginger used. The first study didn’t specify what form of ginger was administered.

Ginger can be taken as a tincture, powder,  tea, as a fresh juice, and eaten in your meals. A good thing to always keep in mind when using herbs is that herbs can work better if taken in multiple  forms because each preparation brings out different constituents that the other forms may not.  This helps you get the full benefits of ginger.

2. Motion Sickness

If you have ever been on a dive boat or in a dive shop then you probably know that one of the benefits of ginger is reduced motion sickness.  Ginger has long been known to help prevent motion sickness caused by boating, flying, or dare I say, merry-go-rounds. [What is so merry about an activity that can cause you to hurl?]

A study done with participants with a history of motion sickness showed that indeed ginger can help prevent motion sickness.  Participants were exposed to "circular vection" in a lab setting. ["Circular vection" is where the observer is placed at the center of rotation of a rotating drum.]

The participants in the test group were given between 1000 to 2000 mg of ginger before being exposed to circular vection, while the other group was given a placebo. Ginger reduced nausea, as well as other measures of motion sickness.

One important note: If you are going to use ginger to combat motion sickness, it is best to start consuming ginger at least 24 hours before you will be exposed to the motion. 

3. Chemotherapy-induced Vomiting

Chemotherapy causes many side effects, not the least of which is vomiting. A study done with ginger versus chemo-induced vomiting produced excellent results.

The treatment group received 250 mg ginger capsules 4 times per day. The participants started the ginger capsules 3 days before the chemotherapy treatments started and continued taking the ginger for 3 days after the treatments started.

The ginger group experienced relief from chemotherapy-induced vomiting in all stages.

4. Acid Reflux

Ginger has been used for more than 2000 years as a digestive aid. This is one of the most well-known benefits of ginger.  Ginger's ability to reduce inflammation also helps reduce the discomfort of acid reflux that comes from inflammation in the esophagus. 

So even though the research has not yet been done to scientifically demonstrate the power of ginger against acid reflux, anecdotal evidence and historical use strongly support this benefit of ginger.

Furthermore, we know that ginger contains melatonin.  It is now known that someone with low melatonin levels is more likely to have acid reflux. Studies have shown that  acid reflux sufferers improve when given melatonin supplements.

So if you are suffering from acid reflux, give ginger a try and let us know how it works for you.

Benefits of Ginger for Pain

Ginger isn't just known for its ability to improve the digestive process and reduce nausea. 

Another of the well known benefits of ginger is its ability to reduce or relieve pain by increasing blood flow and decreasing inflammation.

The good news is that ginger has been found to be just as effective for reducing the pain of menstrual cycles as mefenamic acid and ibuprofen.

The participants in the study were given 250mg capsules of ginger rhizome [ginger root] 4 times a day for three days from the start of their menstrual cycle. The result was that ginger was just as effective at relieving menstrual pain as mefenamic acid and ibuprofen.

6. Migraine Headaches

Researchers now believe that migraine headaches are caused by many factors. If you or someone you know suffers from migraines, then you know just how crippling they can be.

There are numerous pharmaceutical drugs that are used to ease migraine pain, but of course they all come with their own set of problems. So are there options to relieve migraines with virtually no side effects? Yes....

It is known that ginger powder works as well as the drug sumatriptan to relieve migraine pain. This is great news, especially considering the slew of side effects that sumatripton comes with.

[It is mind boggling. One of the side effects of sumatripton is headaches!! Please stop the insanity. Other side effects include anxiety, rash, loss of hearing, stroke, seizures, etc. the list is longer than your arm.]

Ginger powder is most definitely worth a shot for your migranes.  Combine the powder with fresh ginger shots (2 ounces of fresh ginger juice) for a real one-two punch. Oh and ginger actually comes with health benefits instead of health detriments. So it comes down to good common sense.

7. Osteoarthritis -- We all feel pain from time to time, some of us more often than others. Unfortunately the average person will reach for an anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen. Overtime ibuprofen has dangerous side effects , including an increased risk of sudden cardiac death!

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that decreases inflammation in the body.

A study done comparing the effects of ginger and ibuprofen on osteoarthritis pain found that the results are similar. This means ginger will decrease pain as well as ibuprofen.

The ginger test group took a 30mg extract in two 500 mg capsules per day. 

Benefits of Ginger for Infection

One of the well-known benefits of ginger is it's ability to fight off pathogens, even pathogens that have become resistant to antibiotic or antifungal drugs.

8. Drug Resistant Candida albicans

Some fungus and bacteria have protection mechanisms that make them more difficult to treat. One example of this is something scientists call biofilm.  It  is a film that a pathogen creates to shield themselves against antibiotics.

Scientists are on the hunt for different agents that can destroy this biofilm defense mechanism.

Ginger has biofilm-destroying properties against the drug resistant fungus Candidi albicans.  

Other studies have shown that ginger is effective at killing a broad range of fungi.

Ginger was tested against the antifungal drugs amphotericin B and ketoconazole, using 13 different strains of human-pathogenic fungi.  Ginger had a pronounced antifungal activity against a wide variety of fungi, including strains that were highly resistant to amphotericin B and ketoconazole.

This is great news. Nature is intelligent ... it adapts ... pharmaceuticals don’t. Natural remedies are our best bet for overcoming drug-resistant pathogens

9. Fatal Infant Diarrhea

Most of us in America never take diarrhea too seriously. You may get a little diarrhea from time to time, but it usually subsides in a few days with no adverse or lasting effects. But in developing countries, diarrhea can have a totally different outcome, especially if you are an infant.

Diarrhea is a major cause of infant mortality in the developing world.  Uncontrolled diarrhea can lead to electrolyte imbalance, which can lead to death. Of course the elderly, weakened, and the very young are the most susceptible to succumb to the effects of severe diarrhea.

Ginger extracts have been found effective in stopping diarrhea caused by bacterial infections.

Ginger works by binding the bacterial toxin that leads to the uncontrolled diarrhea. The toxin is known by the name LT.  LT is usually taken up by the cells in the gut, where it triggers a response that results in huge releases of fluid, electrolytes, and ions from the cells. Ginger effectively binds the LT and prevents its interaction with receptors on the cells' surface.

In this type of situation, ginger can be a real life saver. Thus a great reason to learn how to make your own herbal extracts and keep them on hand.  In emergency situations, an herbal medicine chest is invaluable.

10. Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a significant cause of death in the elderly. Pneumonia is hard to treat even by emergency measures taken in hospitals.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a type of pneumonia common in patients on ventilators. A study was designed to determine if a ginger extract could delay gastric emptying and help reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Ginger was found to help feeding tolerance compared to placebo. The ginger group also had fewer cases of pneumonia develop than the control group that was administered coconut oil.

The ginger group also experienced more ventilator free days and less days spent in ICU than the control group.  The mortality of both groups remained the same.

While this was an impressive finding, you shouldn’t hold your breath waiting for a ginger extract to be added to your hospital arsenal anytime soon. Of course you could bring your own ginger to the hospital with you.

More Benefits of Ginger

11. Type 2 Diabetes

A double blind study found ginger to have great potential for alleviating blood markers in type 2 diabetics.

Participants were given 1600 mg of ginger a day.

This is impressive considering the only change made in the participants lifestyle was adding ginger.

12. Ovarian Cancer

None of us ever want to get a cancer diagnosis, but if you do, it is good to know that nature is a potent ally. A study out of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, found that ginger can be a powerful ally.

The researchers simply mixed ginger powder with water and applied the solution to ovarian cancer cells. In every test, they found that the cancer cells died as the result of being in contact with ginger.

Another important detail is that ginger not only kills cancer cells, but it also prevents cancer from building up resistance to cancer treatment.

So adding ginger in your cancer-fighting protocol may be a great idea.

13. Radiation Protection

If the benefits of ginger weren't already impressive enough, it looks like ginger also has radioprotective properties.  This means ginger appears to protect us from the dangers of radiation. 

In one study, male and female rats were exposed to gamma radiation to determine if ginger could mitigate side effects such as vomiting.  After administering a ginger tincture to the rats, it was found that the ginger was as effective as two antiemetic drugs, ondansteron and dexamethasone, at protecting against radiation induced CTA [taste aversion, learning disabilities, and vomiting].

The mechanism by which ginger displayed its radiation protection was it’s powerful free-radical-scavenging ability. Radiation treatment causes massive cellular damage by generating free radicals that damage the DNA of cells.  But ginger cleans up these free radicals, reducing the damage they cause in the body. 

The conclusion of the study confirmed that ginger is radioprotective, antioxidant, and has neuromodulatory properties. 

How To Get the Benefits of Ginger?

Ginger can be taken as a powder or capsule, as a tincture, or as a tea.  You can also cook with it.  You can juice it.  Or all of the above. 

To get the full benefits of ginger, I recommend taking it in multiple forms. 

Ginger root is easy to find in most grocery stores.  You can peel it, slice it, and make a tea out of it by boiling the peeling and sliced ginger in distilled water for 15 minutes.

You can also make fresh ginger juice.  I love to add about an inch of ginger root juice to my fresh pineapple juice.

I also like to drink 2 ounces of fresh ginger juice all by itself.  This is called a ginger shot because it is so strong you drink it like you would drink a tequila shot.  But it makes you feel amazing, so give it a try.

Sources

If you would like to delve deeper into the information discussed on this page, here is a list of all the sources referenced:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22951628

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.0004-8666.2003.00039.x/full

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19216660

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12576305

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23853643

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.4996/full

https://www.drugs.com/cdi/sumatriptan.html

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/09637486.2014.880671?src=recsys

https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm453610.htm

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235007127_Comparing_the_Effects_of_ginger_Zingiber_officinale_extract_and_ibuprofen_On_patients_with_osteoarthritis

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41747.php

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30211127

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12588480

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19216660

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16797061

https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/herbal-medicines-secret-revealed/3001945.article

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20149584

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