The wonders of ginger
Rhizome ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been used in Asia for centuries as a culinary spice and as a medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The milder young ginger root, as well as the more pungent mature root, are used in Chinese and Japanese cooking to flavor dishes. In the Qing dynasty it was even used to make a ginger-flavored liquor called Canton. In Britain, ginger is used in the production of a spirit called Crabbie’s Green Ginger Wine. Both the Orientals and the Arabs use ginger infusions to flavor their coffee and tea, while in the West the traditional use is to flavor cookies and sweets, and in ginger ale.
A highly unusual use of ginger was among pre-World War I British mounted regiments when, during public ceremonies, an ovule of peeled ginger root was placed in the horse’s rectum. The practice known as figging (or feauging), resulted in a burning sensation, leaving no permanent damage; he made the horses hold their heads and tails high. As you can well imagine, this practice in humans is observed within the S&M community.
In medicine, ginger root (a misnomer since it is not a root but a horizontal underground stem) is used by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for gastrointestinal ailments, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and arthritic conditions. In the United States, it has been used to treat pregnancy-induced gastrointestinal upset, nausea, motion sickness, nausea, and arthritis, primarily in folk medicine and alternative medicine. It may be gradually gaining acceptance in traditional western medicine in this country with recent scientific studies reporting positive results.
The flavor and characteristics of ginger root are due to a mixture of zingerone, shoagoles, and gingerols, which are the volatile oils that make up approximately 3% of the dry weight of fresh ginger. Gingerols are the medicinal components that have analgesic, sedative, antipyretic, antiemetic and antibacterial properties in addition to reducing gastrointestinal motility. ginger ( [6]-gingerol) is a relative of capsaicin, the compound that gives bell peppers their peppery hot flavor. When gingerol is exposed to heat (such as in cooking), it transforms into zingerone with its more flavorful, less pungent, sweet-spicy aroma.
The mechanism of action of ginger is poorly understood, however, the antiemetic properties may be due to the inhibition of serotonin receptors that exert a direct effect on the central nervous and gastrointestinal systems. The use of ginger in the treatment of arthritic diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatism may be due to the fact that ginger inhibits the activation of the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), thus acting as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Ginger has been used for years as an over-the-counter preparation to treat motion sickness without the drowsiness of medications such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine). Apparently it works pretty well, based on some scientific studies done on high seas naval cadets. While a fairly entertaining “scientific” study of the hit Discovery TV show, MythBusters explored [in “Episode 43: Seasickness – Kill or Cure” (premiered: Nov. 16, 2005 )] various non-pharmaceutical remedies along with a placebo to address Adam’s very sensitive motion sickness. Ginger turned out to be one of the most successful “home remedies” to combat this disease on the show. Now back to the published double-blind peer-reviewed studies. In pregnancy-induced nausea, several trials show comparable efficacy with vitamin B6 and superiority over ginger placebo in controlling morning sickness. The Cochrane review showed that ginger is a safe (for the baby and the mother) and effective antiemetic during pregnancy.
There are also studies to substantiate the use of ginger in postoperative (post-anesthesia) nausea. However, ginger did not fare as well in controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
How Does Ginger Stack Up When Treating Arthritis Pain? While several studies showed mixed results when ginger was used to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, a couple of trials showed statistically significant pain relief and reduced swelling with the use of ginger. Ginger has also been studied in in vitro and animal models for conditions ranging from treating bacterial and fungal infections, cancers, and as antihypertensive agents. However, not many have been successfully studied in humans.
There does not appear to be any significant toxicity with ginger. Although the FDA considers ginger to be fairly safe, there is a theoretical risk when it is used with the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin). In high doses, ginger can cause elevated protimes (PT) in those taking this medication. The only other precaution to be observed is the use of this herb in people with gallbladder disease; those suffering from gallstones may have an exacerbation in their condition as ginger releases bile from the gallbladder.
Clinical trials typically use 250 mg to 1,000 mg of powdered ginger root standardized in capsule form. This dose is taken one to four times a day. For pregnancy-induced nausea studies, a successful regimen of 250 mg four times a day has been used.
In my neck of the woods, a common drink consumed by people today started out as a local medicine. The “world famous” Blenheim Ginger Ale is bottled less than 15 miles from my home in Bennettsville, SC. Blenheim Ginger Ale is named after the natural mineral spring in Blenheim, SC. Dr. CR May, in the late 1800s, advised patients to drink this mineral water to calm an upset stomach. When it was reported that the remedy worked, but that many of the patients did not like the strong mineral taste of the water, he added Jamaican ginger to the water, thus generating the now famous ginger beer. Jamaican ginger has historically been used as a medicine. It is classified as a stimulant and carminative for the treatment of dyspepsia and colic, and tea made from the root was a popular remedy for colds. In 1903, Dr. May entered into a partnership with a partner to bottle the product under the Blenheim Bottling Company. To this day it is considered the oldest and smallest bottling company in America. Some people today use “HOT” red-top Blenheim Ginger Ale more as a medicine than a soda for treating sore throats, colds, flu, and to soothe their stomachaches. Renowned journalist Charles Kuralt in his famous TV series “On the Road” featured ginger ale in one of his episodes, and Penn Jillette (of the comic-magical duo Penn & Teller) is reportedly a big fan of ginger ale. beverage. Penn appeared on the cover of a September 1994 issue of Wired magazine wearing a Blenheim T-shirt and holding a bottle. Health!
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Reference:
White, B, “Ginger: An Overview”, AmFmPractice, June 2007, Vol. 75, no. 11, aafp dot org/afp/20070601/1689.html
Grontved A, Brask T, Kambskard J, Hentzer E. Ginger root against motion sickness. A controlled test in the open sea. Acta Otolaryngol 1988;105:45-9.
Stewart JJ, Wood MJ, Wood CD, Mims ME. Effects of ginger on susceptibility to motion sickness and gastric function. Pharmacology 1991;42:111-20.
Borrelli F, Capasso R, Aviello G, Pittler MH, Izzo AA. Efficacy and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting. Obstet Gynecol 2005;105:849-56.
Ernst E, Pittler MH. Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Brother J Anaesth 2000;84:367-71.
Altman RD, Marcussen KC. Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2001;44:2531-8.
Jiang X, Williams KM, Liauw WS, Ammit AJ, Roufogalis BD, Duke CC, et al. Effect of ginkgo and ginger on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin in healthy subjects. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2005;59:425-32.
The Blenheim Shrine, Blenheim Shrine
Aliverti, Brent, Blenheim Ginger Ale, theacf dot com/blenheim
Wikipedia, ginger
Susan Jakes, “The Drink of Champions. Part One: Hot Coke with Ginger, a Possibly Magical Elixir”
MythBusters Episode 43: Seasickness – Kill or Heal, dsc.discovery dot com/fansites/mythbusters/episode/00to49/episode_02.html
c) 2007