Ginger is the common name for Zingiber officinale, originally grown in China
Gastrointestinal
Relief
A double
blind study suggests that ginger helps in eliminating gastrointestinal
symptoms. It is found to be very effective in preventing seasickness. In fact,
in one study, ginger was shown to be far superior to Dramamine, a commonly used
over-the-counter and prescription drug for motion sickness. Ginger helps in
reducing all associated with motion sickness including dizziness, nausea,
vomiting, and cold sweating.
Safe and
Effective Relief of Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy
Ginger is an
effective remedy in reducing the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, even the
most severe form, hyperemesis gravidum, a condition which usually
requires hospitalization. In a double-blind trial, ginger root brought
significant results in reducing both the severity of nausea and number of
attacks of vomiting in 19 of 27 women in early pregnancy (less than 20 weeks).
A review of six
double-blind, randomized controlled trials with a total of 675 participants,
published in the April 2005 issue of the journal, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
has confirmed that ginger is effective in relieving the severity of nausea and
vomiting during pregnancy. The review also confirmed the absence of significant
side effects or adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes.
Anti-Inflammatory
Effects
Ginger
consists of very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. In
two clinical studies involving patients who responded to conventional drugs and
those who didn't, physicians found that 75% of arthritis patients and 100% of
patients with muscular discomfort experienced relief of pain and/or swelling.
Regular use of fresh ginger in meals may help, suggests a study published in a
recent issue of Osteoarthritis Cartilage.
A study published in the
February 2005 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
showed ginger's anti-inflammatory effectiveness. In this research, ginger was
shown to suppress the pro-inflammatory compounds (cytokines and chemokines)
produced by synoviocytes (cells comprising the synovial lining of the joints),
chrondrocytes (cells comprising joint cartilage) and leukocytes (immune cells).
A University of Miami
“Research shows that ginger affects certain
inflammatory processes at a cellular level,” says the study’s lead author, Roy
Altman, MD, now at the University of California Los
Angeles
Protection
against Colorectal Cancer
The main
active components found in ginger known as gingerols may also inhibit the
growth of human colorectal cancer cells, suggests research presented at the
Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, a major meeting of cancer experts that
took place in Phoenix , AZ October 26-30, 2003 .
Research
associate professor Ann Bode noted, "These results strongly suggest that
ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic
agents for colorectal carcinomas."
Ginger
Induces Cell Death in Ovarian Cancer Cells
Lab
experiments presented at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association
for Cancer, by Dr Rebecca Lui and her colleagues from the University of Michigan
Lowers
cholesterol
A few studies
have shown that ginger may lower cholesterol and help prevent blood from
clotting. That can be helpful in treating heart disease, where blood vessels
can become blocked and lead to heart attack or stroke.Diabetes complications
Ginger helps
in limiting the complications of diabetes. Studies have shown that ginger may
help to lower protein levels in the urine, decrease water intake and urine
output, and reverse proteinuria. Ginger also helps in diabetic neuropathy.
