1. Painkiller
Ginger effectively reduces subjective pain reports
.
2 grams day of ginger may modestly reduce muscle
pain from resistance exercise and prolonged running, particularly if taken for
a minimum of 5 days.
Ginger is as effective as diclofenac (an NSAID pain
medication) for pain management, without leading to digestive discomfort .
2. Menstrual Cramps
Ginger is more effective in reducing pain severity
than placebo. In addition, ginger appears to be as effective as mefenamic acid
(an NSAID pain medication) .
3. Osteoarthritis
Some research shows that ginger improves the effect
of osteoarthritis, while other studies show that ginger is only effective
during the first treatment so it more research is necessary to determine the
true effectivity .
4. Allergy and Asthma
Ginger is better for people with Th2 dominance.
Zerumbone,
an active ingredient in ginger, enhances the Th1 response and helps with Th2 allergic response to egg white
protein (albumin) in mice .
Ginger helps with asthma by suppressing Th2-mediated immune response in mice .
Ginger reduce smooth muscle contraction in the
airway by reducing acetylcholine-induced contraction.
5. Eczema
6-Shogaol,
a compound found in ginger, alleviates allergic dermatitis (eczema) in mice via
cytokine inhibition by activating the Nrf2 pathway .
Eczema is Th2 dominant condition, so it make sense
that ginger helps.
Ginger Aids Digestion
6. Gut and Digestion
Ginger increased prostaglandins in the
stomach lining (while NSAIDs decrease) in osteoarthritis patients who develop
stomach problems from long term NSAID use .
Animal studies confirm that ginger reduces
stomach lesions, possibly by inhibiting growth of Helicobacter
pylori and through reducing stomach acid secretion .
7. Nausea and Vomiting
Ginger prevents overactivation of the vagal nerve that triggers nausea and
vomiting by inhibiting serotonin function in the digestive tract .
Ginger is an effective non-drug relief for morning
sickness during early pregnancy .
Ginger helps with nausea and vomiting as side
effects of medications, including chemotherapy .
8. Stomach Discomfort
Ginger stimulates gut flow (peristalsis). However,
the exact effects of ginger vary depending on different species of mammals .
Ginger accelerates stomach emptying into the small
intestines in healthy people, so it can help in the case of overeating or
indigestion .
A small randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial shows that ginger can help with digestive symptoms in
people who frequently have upset stomach (functional dyspepsia) .
Ginger does not affect gallbladder movements .
Ginger can regulate bowel transit in rats with irritable
bowel syndrome .
Liver Detoxification
9. Protects the Liver
Supplementation with ginger, together with
alpha-lipoic acid, help slow down age-related structural changes in old rats .
Ginger can help protect tuberculosis patients from
liver toxicity due to antituberculosis drugs .
Ginger protects the kidney and liver against
cadmium toxicity in rabbits poisoned with cadmium .
Ginger protects against aluminum toxicity in rats .
10. Oxidative Stress
Ginger contains many potent antioxidants .
6-shogaol activates
Nrf2, thus protects against oxidative stress .
Ginger is an effective antioxidant as part of an
anti-tuberculosis therapy.
Ginger Has Anti-Cancer Effects
Several active compounds in ginger are potent
against the hallmarks of cancer.
11. Can Induce Cancer Cells Death by Apoptosis
Ginger terpenoids can induce apoptosis in
endometrial cancer cells through p53 activation.
Zerumbone, an ingredient in ginger, can induce
apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through the p53 signal pathway .
12. Can Sensitize Cancer Cells to Radiation
Zerumbone can sensitize colorectal cancer cells to
radiation, making radiation therapy more effective.
13. Inhibit Cancer Cell Growth
6-gingerol can inhibit growth of liver (hepatoma)
and bone (osteosarcoma) cancer cells .
14. Stops New Blood Vessels that Allows Cancer Cells
to Grow
Cancer cells develop the ability to grow new blood
vessels called angiogenesis. Ginger inhibits angiogenesis in skin cancer.
Zerumbone inhibits angiogenesis by blocking NF-κB
in stomach, pancreatic, ovarian, and colon cancer in cell-based studies .
Administration of 6-gingerol to mice injected with
melanoma cells inhibits pathways necessary for angiogenesis, including VEGF and
bFGF .
15. Ginger Protects DNA
Ginger essential oil has been found to reduce DNA
damage from mold toxin called aflatoxin B1 .
Ginger can help protect sperm DNA against oxidative
stress, suggesting that it can help improve fertility in men .
16. Ginger Inhibits Cancer Cell Migration
6-Gingerol inhibits metastasis (cell migration) of
breast cancer cells in a cell study .
Ginger Helps with Cardiovascular Risks
17. Ginger Improves Blood Cholesterol/Triglyceride
Profile
Ginger improves blood CRP, blood sugar
markers, and cholesterol/triglyceride profiles in human subjects.
Ginger can lower blood pressure by modulating the nervous
system via stimulation of muscarinic receptors and blockade of calcium channels
.
18. Prevent Hardening of the Arteries
6-Gingerol can protect cells that line the blood
vessels from oxidative stress, suggesting that it might help prevent hardening
of the arteries .
Ginger Helps with Metabolic Health
19. Ginger Improves Blood Sugar Levels
Ginger reduces fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in humans .
20. Helps with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
12 weeks of supplementation with two grams of
ginger daily significantly reduced several liver enzymes, inflammatory
cytokines, and insulin resistance index compared to placebo .
Ginger essential oil protects the liver against
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and related metabolic diseases induced by high-fat
diet in obese mice.
Treatment with ginger helps reduce fructose-induced
fatty liver and high triglyceride levels in rats by acting through the liver’s
carbohydrate sensor.
21. Ginger Can Mitigate Obesity from a Poor Diet
Ginger can keep mice on a high fat diet from
getting obese and improved exercise endurance capacity by activating the PPARδ pathway.
Ginger is an Antimicrobial
Ginger is an effective antiviral, anti-microbial
and anti-fungal. However, most of the studies are done in cell-based
studies. Additional clinical studies may be necessary to confirm the safety and
effectiveness of ginger for the treatment of infectious diseases.
22. Fresh Ginger Inhibits Cold Viruses
Fresh, but not dried, ginger can prevent cold
viruses from entering human cells in a cell-based study.
23. Ginger Kills Bad Bacteria
Unheated ethanol extract (tincture) of ginger has
anti-bacterial effects against disease-causing bacteria in a cell study,
including:
·
Staphylococcus
aureas
·
Staphylococcus pneumoniae
·
Haemophilus
influenzae
·
Pseudomonas
aeroginosa
·
Salmonella
typhimurum
·
Escherichia
coli
Methanol extracts of ginger effectively inhibits
the growth of 19 strains of Helicobacter pylori, including
drug-resistant strains, in a cell study.
24. Ginger is an Effective Antifungal
Ginger is an effective antifungal at concentrations
below 1 mg/ml
Ginger tincture inhibits growth
of Candida albicans.
Ginger Risks, Side Effects
·
Ginger seems
to have little, or no side-effects but may aggravate acid reflux in some
individuals .
·
Ginger may
affect blood clots, so it should not be taken at the same time as blood thinner
medications.
·
The effects of
long-term supplementation of ginger remain to be determined.
·
Ginger
contains actives that suppress human cytochrome P450 activity, so it may
interact with drugs that are metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes .
Ginger effect
·
Ginger lowers
blood pressure by blocking voltage-dependent calcium channels.
·
Ginger helps
with allergies and inflammation, and protects against oxidative stress by
activating the Nrf2 pathway .
·
Ginger
suppresses Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
·
Ginger
inhibits NF-κB signaling.
·
6-Shogaol
inhibits growth and apoptosis, and induces autophagy of non-small cell lung
cancer by directly regulating Akt1/2 and mTOR pathways.
·
Ethanol
extract of ginger activates AMPK and inhibits mTOR in pancreatic cancer cells,
and stimulates autophagy .
·
Ginger
activates the PPARδ pathway .
