NATURE’S ASPIRIN
Ginger Wonder

By RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR

Ginger, the underground, knotted, thick, beige-underground stem, or rhizome, is a great medicinal plant.

In botanical terms, ginger is called Zingiber officinale. It is a trusted, age-old remedy.

The ancient Indian system of medicine, ayurveda, praises ginger in the treatment of arthritis, colic, and diarrhoea. It also extols its use in heart conditions.

You know it just as well that ginger continues to be revered around the world as an important cooking spice -- and, you may have been witness to your grandma using it to treat common cold, or flu-like symptoms, including headaches, and painful periods.

Yes, ginger has been extensively used to aid digestion and treat stomach upset, and nausea, for centuries.

Ginger helps control inflammation. It effectively affects the pain pathways directly. In so doing, it relieves inflammation -- the basic cause of pain.

Gingerols – the medicinal notations in ginger -- have yet another advantage. They not only prevent the aggregation of platelets, and reduce inflammation, they also help “thin” the blood.

It’s no surprise that ever since the herb arrived in Great Britain from the Caribbean, in mediaeval times, Queen Elizabeth I, it’s said, became so captivated with its digestive properties that she employed a special gingerbread baker.

There are many families that espouse the use of ginger bread today -- they just don’t accept any other bread in its place.

Eases Inflammation

It comes as no surprise that ginger extract has, for long, been used in traditional medical practices to decrease inflammation. Many herbal and alternative medical practitioners today use ginger to treat problems associated with inflammation, especially arthritis, bronchitis, and ulcerative colitis.

In one study of 261 people with osteoarthritis [OA] of the knee, patients who received a ginger extract twice-daily experienced less pain. They also required smaller amounts of conventional analgesic medications in contrast to the placebo group. While it is agreed that there have not been too many large studies on the benefits of ginger for OA, it is heartening to note that one topical study has found that ginger was no more effective than the conventional NSAID, ibuprofen, in reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis. There was, of course, a silver-lining -- ginger was found to be free of side-effects!

Bulbous Gem

Ginger is a bulbous “gem.” Its stem extends roughly 12 inches above the ground with long, narrow, ribbed, green leaves, and white or yellowish-green flowers. The important active components of the ginger root are thought to be volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds. They are called -- as you already know -- gingerols [and, shogaols].

Ginger products are made from fresh, or dried, ginger root. It is also made from steam distillation of the oil in the root. The herb is available as extract, tincture, capsule, and oil. Fresh ginger root can also be purchased and prepared as tea. Besides, ginger is found in a variety of foods and drinks including ginger bread, ginger snaps, ginger sticks, and ginger ale.

Ginger is a priceless native to Asia. It grows in fertile, moist, tropical soil, typical of the region -- no wonder, ginger’s culinary history as a wonder spice is over 5,000 years old. In the modern world, where there’s a progressive “look-back” into ancient remedies, or back-to-the-future prospect of old wisdom, ginger root is widely used as a digestive aid for mild stomach troubles.

Ginger is also a top prescription model for professional herbalists in the treatment of queasiness and nausea, or vomiting, associated with travel sickness, and the morning gastric pangs of early pregnancy. Most important: ginger is today used as a chemotherapeutic agent in some forms of cancer, with benefit, though controlled clinical studies have been relatively few and not all-encompassing.

Motion “Illness”

Studies suggest that ginger may be more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms of motion sickness. In one study, 80 greenhorn sailors, found susceptible to motion sickness, were given powdered ginger. They experienced a significant reduction in vomiting and cold sweating compared to those who took a placebo. The results were found to be identical in a study conducted on healthy volunteers.

While researchers agree that the results hold promise, some studies have indicated that ginger is not as effective as conventional medications in reducing symptoms associated with travel sickness. A group of volunteers were given ginger -- fresh root powder -- in the form of scopolamine, a medication commonly prescribed for motion sickness, or placebo. Those receiving the medication experienced appreciably fewer symptoms in comparison to those who were given ginger. However, the fact remains -- given the known safety profile of ginger, many people consider it a better, and a much more dependable, option for motion sickness.

Morning Sickness & Vomiting

Studies have found that ginger is more effective than placebo in easing the symptoms of nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. In one comparatively undersized study, 30 pregnant women with severe vomiting, who were given one gm of ginger every day for four days, reported more relief from vomiting than the placebo group. In one large study, which included 70 pregnant women with nausea and vomiting, the report was identical. There was no improvement in the placebo group.

A word of caution: experts say that it is safe to use fresh ginger root during pregnancy; they do not, however, recommend the use of dried ginger root.

Post-Operative Nausea

One gm of ginger root, given to patients before surgery, according to clinical studies, reduced nausea as effectively as conventional medications. It was also noticeable that women who received ginger required fewer nausea-relieving medications following surgery. However, other studies have not corroborated these results, or ginger’s positive effects. It is imperative, researchers acknowledge, further studies would be needed to determine precise results.

Other Uses

While it would be excessive bravado to give the total thumbs-up sign for ginger in the treatment of heart conditions -- it would be comforting to record that some studies have found ginger a useful agent for lowering cholesterol levels and preventing the formation of blood clots [Blood clots, as you know, can slow down, or stop, blood flow in the arteries]. This is good news on the herbal front, because ginger could have a potential role to play in protecting the blood vessels from blockage and its damaging effects, such as atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart attack, or stroke.

Dosage

Herbal doses for adults are often calculated on the basis of the 150 lb [70 kg] adult-weight register. Most herbalists/therapists recommend a ginger intake of two [maximum = four] gm per day. This, of course, includes ginger obtained through diet such as ginger ale, ginger snaps, and ginger bread.

• Arthritis. Fresh ginger juice, extract, or tea; 2-4 gm daily. You may also rub ginger oil on the painful joint; or, place the fresh root in a warm poultice, or compress, and apply to painful areas.
• Nausea, and digestive affections. 2-4 gm of fresh root daily [0.25-1 gm of powdered root]. In tincture form: 1.5-3 ml, or 30-90 drops, daily.
• Vomiting. One gm, or half-teaspoonful of powdered ginger, every four hours, or as needed. Alternatively, two [one gm] ginger capsules, three times daily. In chewable form, ¼ oz of fresh ginger.
• Cold and flu, sore throat, headache, and menstrual pain. Soak two tablespoons of fresh/shredded ginger in boiled water… Or, place a drop of ginger oil and/or few portions of fresh rhizome in steaming water -- and, inhale, 2-3 times daily.
• Capsule. One capsule, 500 mg, twice daily, as food supplement.

Precautions

While it must be remembered that the use of herbs is a long-established medicinal approach to treating illness and for maintenance of health, or optimal well-being, it should be emphasised that herbs contain active substances that may lead to some side-effects -- though they are quite uncommon -- in certain individuals. Besides, a few herbs may also interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. It is, therefore, advisable that herbs should better be taken with care -- preferably, under the supervision of a trained herbalist/therapist, or practitioner, having adequate knowledge of their action profiles.

Ginger should not be used in children under two years of age. For children over two years of age, it may be used to treat nausea, colic, and headaches. It would, however, be advisable to adjust the recommended adult dose to account for the child’s weight. In other words, if the child weighs 50 lb [20-25 kg], the appropriate dose of ginger would be 1/3 of the adult dose.

Most drug committees have given ginger the classification of a relatively safe herb -- mainly because side-effects associated with ginger are uncommon. However, it must be remembered that ginger in excessive doses may cause mild heartburn. All the same, it is advisable to avoid ginger during pregnancy. Besides, gallstones patients should not take ginger without consulting their physician/therapist.

You should also avoid ginger if you are using any of the following medications and/or consult your healthcare provider:

Blood-thinning medications: Though no study implicates ginger to hinder clotting of blood, people taking ginger, along with blood-thinning medications, should be monitored closely by a therapist/healthcare practitioner -- for possible risk of bleeding.

Cyclophosphamide: Some researchers report that ginger may reduce the toxic side-effects of cyclophosphamide -- a medication used to treat a variety of cancers. Further research is, however, needed to corroborate the observation.

Summary

Researchers have discovered that the action of conventional drugs that treat pain and inflammation is “mirrored” by a number of natural compounds. Ginger, for example, has traditionally been used to treat pain and inflammation. Constituents of ginger -- 10-gingerol, 6-shogaol and 8-paradol -- have been shown to have potent inhibitory effects inflammation in clinical studies.

In one randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, six-week study of 261 patients with osteoarthritis, researchers tested a proprietary ginger extract combined with another proprietary extract of Alpinia galanga [Siamese ginger], a member of the ginger family. The two extracts resulted in pain reduction. However, there is no uniform agreement on the effect -- some researchers admit that ginger has pain-inhibitory effects, but they hold on to the view that it may not be a natural “cure-all” for aches and pains.

What stands out is studies today show that ginger reduces prostaglandins which sensitise pain receptors at the nerve endings [nociceptors] by up to 58 per cent.

In addition, ginger contains melatonin -- the regulatory hormone, similar to serotonin -- the “feel-good” hormone -- which also has very strong anti-inflammatory effects. It may, therefore, be a useful remedy in treating jet-lag.

Ginger also contains a dozen different anti-inflammatory compounds. Research suggests that some of the compounds too may have mild aspirin-like effects. It is also said that ginger has the ability to snuff out the toxins that may cause pain, by increasing circulation. A popular remedy in Japan for spinal and joint pains, ginger is said to possess over 500 beneficial compounds.

So, there we are! Think of gingerly cures, and you have the wholesome medicinal qualities of ginger -- in all their therapeutic glory.