Ginger has been used in Asian, Indian and
Arabic cooking and as a medicine for at least 4000 years! In herbal medicine it
has been used to treat stomach upset, colic, diarrhea, nausea, motion sickness arthritis, respiratory illness, headaches, and painful menstrual periods. In the 21st century, ginger
is being studied at various universities for these and other health conditions. Here are some recent findings.
*Asthma
has become more prevalent in recent years; the reasons for this increase are
being debated and are obviously complex.
Air pollution may be a factor.
Asthma is characterized by a tightening of the bronchial tubes that
carry air in and out of the lungs.
Medicines called bronchodilators are common types of asthma medicines;
they work by relaxing the smooth muscles that line the airways. Researchers at Columbia University have
found that components of ginger can work with bronchodilators to relax the
airways. Compounds in ginger
affect an enzyme in the lungs that prevents smooth muscle relaxation. Researchers plan to determine whether
aerosol delivery of ginger compounds may have a therapeutic potential in
relieving asthma. People with asthma should not abandon their inhalers at this
point, but drinking ginger tea might be helpful. (Also – vitamin D deficiency is common in people with
asthma. Talk to your doctor or NP
about supplemental D if your level
is below 30-40 ng/ml.)
*Muscle pain – researchers at the University of
Georgia studied oral ginger in a randomized group of volunteers given arm
exercises with heavy weights designed to cause muscle pain the following
days. Subjects pretreated
with ginger capsules had a 25 % decrease in muscle pain on subsequent days. This should be of interest to many
people who exercise in gyms, on the soccer fields or engage in any sport that
causes muscle soreness.
*Nausea from
chemotherapy – Ginger
has long been used for nausea in pregnancy and is considered safe and somewhat effective. Researchers at the University of
Rochester Medical Center found that giving ginger supplements 3 days before chemotherapy
treatment and 3 days after – along with prescription medicines for nausea –
reduced nausea levels by 40% compared to patients just receiving prescription
medicines for nausea.
*Colon
inflammation: researchers at
the University of Michigan looked at the ability of ginger supplements to
reduce colon inflammation and thereby possibly act as a colon cancer prevention
agent. After 28 days of ginger
use, subjects had statistically significant reductions in most markers for
colonic inflammation, compared to subjects taking a placebo. This is important, as colon cancer is
the third most common cancer among men and women in the US.
*How to use
more ginger- Buy ginger root, cut
a thumbnail size piece and dice it into small pieces, then add it to stir-fries and
vegetable dishes. Grate ginger into
many dishes, including rice and quinoa, and in baked goods. Buy ginger tea bags, or make your own
ginger tea. If you feel a little
nauseated from eating too much, ginger tea will really help. Researchers at Chang Gung University in
Taiwan have shown that ginger accelerates the emptying of the stomach.
Sadja Greenwood, MD, MPH back issues on this blog Check out my novel, Changing the
Rules, at local bookstores or Amazon.
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