Ginger For Cancer, Brain-Gut Inflammation, Radiation,
Staph, More
The following offers LOADS of information regarding the
medicinal qualities of ginger! It includes many more benefits
than listed in the title, some cautions, and a simple recipe to
start enjoying it today.
An amazing home remedy and a good friend in the kitchen;
always have some ginger ready. After reading, you will
definitely start thinking of ways to use ginger throughout the
day.
~Health Freedoms
Ginger Treats Cancer, Brain & Gut Inflammation, Radiation,
and Staph Infections
Not only is ginger a culinary marvel, its health benefits
are stunning. It has been shown to be more effective against
staph infections than antibiotics—and without the adverse
effects.
Ginger’s culinary qualities are a delight, but its health
benefits are simply stunning. It has been shown to be more
effective against bacterial staph infections than antibiotics.
It can kill cancer cells. Its anti-inflammatory effects are
already famous. It can resolve brain inflammations, and ease or
cure a variety of gut problems, such as ulcerative colitis and
acid reflux. And ginger can even alleviate the effects of gamma
radiation. What’s not to love about this incredible herb?
Standard in many kitchens and cuisines, ginger is the
seasoning that gives life to a host of dishes. It’s been used
medicinally for more than 2,000 years. Though best known for its
gastrointestinal soothing effects, that’s just the beginning of
its uses. The plant parts used for both culinary and medicinal
purposes are the rhizomes, the root-like stems that grow
underground. The primary plant used medicinally is Zingiber
officinale.
Several compounds in ginger may be related to its health
benefits, including shogaol, zingerone, and gingerols, which are
similar to chili pepper’s capsaicin, noted for its pain
relieving ability. However, as we’ve seen with separating
aspirin from willow bark, trying to find the active ingredient
in a herb and using it alone tends to both diminish its effects
and remove the balancing components that can both increase
positive effects and decrease or eliminate adverse effects.
Some information in this article is derived from studies that
have isolated single ingredients, generally with the goal of
developing drugs. Though this may be accomplished, a history of
pharmaceuticals demonstrates that it is both hubristic to
believe that nature will be improved and naive to think that
isolating a single chemical can possibly be done without
removing the balancing elements that mitigate against harmful
effects. Nonetheless, such studies do help demonstrate that
there is strong medicine in ginger.
Ginger’s Health Benefits
Let’s take a look at some of the areas that ginger has been
shown to benefit health:
- Cancer: Several studies have
demonstrated ginger’s ability to defeat several types of
cancer cells, including some of the most aggressive and
difficult to treat: lung, ovarian, colon, breast, skin
carcinoma, prostate, and pancreatic.(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
- Diabetes Prevention: Studies have shown
that diabetes may be both prevented and treated, along with
the related abilities to lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and
blood fats.(9,10)
- Antiobiotic: Ginger’s antibiotic
effects may be exceptional. At least one study(10) that
compares the effects of ginger and antibiotics on
Staphylococcus aureus and S. pyreus infections shows that
ginger extract may be superior. The effects on
drug-resistant infections are, as yet, unknown. Ginger has
been shown to have an antibacterial effect on respiratory
and periodontal infections.(11,12,13)
- Antifungal: Fungal infections are among
the most difficult to treat, and drug-resistant fungi have
been developing. However, there’s no need to despair, as
ginger has been found to have antifungal capability,
including to drug-resistant forms.(14)
- Ulcers: Intestinal ulcers can be
prevented with ginger. There is a generally recognized
acceptance now that the Helico pylori bacterium is
associated with ulcers, and at least one study has shown
that a derivative of ginger has been shown to inhibit H.
pylori. One study has demonstrated that ginger can inhibit
existing ulcers, too.(15,16)
- Diabetes Complications: Complications
of diabetes may be limited by ginger. Studies have shown
that it may reduce urine protein levels, decrease water
intake and urine output, and reverse proteinuria. It’s been
shown to aldose reductase inhibitors, which reduce damage
done by diabetes. Ginger can protect nerves in diabetes and
lower blood fat levels. (17,18,19,20)
- Inflammation: Inflammation is a serious
problem with many chronic conditions, both in terms of
causing them and causing pain, and ginger can be highly
effective in managing it. Neurodegenerative diseases may be
aided by ginger’s ability to inhibit nitrous oxide
production and proinflammatory cytokines. Its
antiinflammatory ability may be helpful in arthritis, cancer
prevention, prostate disease, and general inflammatory
processes.(21,22,23,24,25)
- Gastric Distress: Ginger’s ability to
ease gastric distress is superior, and it does more than
simply ease pain. In a double-blind study, ginger capsules
were taken orally in people suffering from dyspepsia with
slow emptying of the stomach’s contents. It stimulated the
emptying of the stomach without any negative effects. It has
been found to have an antispasmodic agent, which helps
explain some of its beneficial effects on the intestinal
tract. As previously stated, it inhibits H. pylori, which
helps prevent ulcers. It also protects gastic
mucosa.(26,27,28)
- Toxicity: Ginger helps prevent the
toxic effects of a wide array of substances, including the
pesticide lindane, a cancer drug, the chemical bromobenzene,
and the excitotoxin monosodium glutamate (MSG). Lindane was
shown to modulate oxidative stress in rats exposed to the
pesticide lindane, a neurotoxin, simply by adding it to
their diet. The cancer drug doxorubicin damages kidneys, but
ginger has been shown to help alleviate the harm. Brombozene
is highly toxic, used in chemical reactions, and can rapidly
damage the liver and nervous system. Ginger has been shown
to alleviate its liver damage. Ginger extract has been shown
to protect against MSG nerve damage.29,30,31,32)
- Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Fructose
Damage): Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NFLD)
has a variety of causes, but it’s now on the increase
because of the prevalence of fructose as a sweetener.
Research on ginger’s function with regard to NFLD is in the
very early stages. However, NFLD is known to be associated
with dyslipidemia and excess triglycerides in the liver.
Ginger may help this condition by lowering serum
cholesterol. Research showing this is very new, published
just this year, so it’s hardly definitive. However, ginger
does appear to hold promise as a treatment for NFLD.(33)
- Heartworms in Dogs: Dirofilaria
immitis, heartworms, are a common canine infection. The
standard medical treatments are risky, frequently causing
neurological disorders and circulatory collapse. Resistance
to them is also developing. It’s therefore quite fortunate
that ginger has been shown to be effective against
heartworms. The treatment that’s been tried is injections of
the extract, and it does take time. However, after 55 days,
an average 83% reduction, up to a maximum of 98%, was found.
About half the dogs exhibited lethargy early in the
treatment, but it’s believed to be a result of their bodies’
need to dispose of the worms, as opposed to an adverse
effect.(34,35)
- Menstrual Pain: A double blind study of
young women suffering from menstrual pain compared with
mefenamic acid (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory marketed as
Ponstel), ibuprofen, ginger powder in capsules, and placebo
was performed. Ginger was found to be as effective as both
mefenamic acid and ibuprofen.(36)
- Radiation: With radiation in the news
lately, it’s wonderful to learn that ginger has been proven
to provide significant benefit against it. One study has
demonstrated that it can help prevent vomiting and taste
distortion associated with radiation poisoning. Another
study administered high doses of ginger extract to mice
before their exposure to gamma radiation, and compared them
to mice that had received only distilled water before
exposure. It reduced the severity of symptoms and mortality.
They were protected from gastrointestinal and
bone-marrow-related deaths. It’s interesting to note that
treatment after exposure provided no benefit.(37,38)
- Gout, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Knee Osteoarthritis,
and Indomethacin: Indomethacin is an
anti-inflammatory drug commonly used to treat the pain from
inflammation of gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and
osteoarthritis of the knee. Studies comparing the effect of
ginger extract with indomethacin consistently show that
ginger is, at a minimum, just as effective, and sometimes
even more than indomethacin. Since indomethacin’s adverse
effects include renal insufficiency in 40% of the people who
take it, jaundice in 10%, headaches in 12%, and elevations
in liver function tests indicating harm to the liver, plus a
host of other nasty problems, it’s difficult to imagine any
legitimate reason for doctors prescribing the drug when they
could simply have their patients take ginger
extract.(39,40,41)
- Nausea and Motion Sickness: Ginger has
been well studied for its classic ability to ease nausea in
all sorts of situations. It has long been used for motion
and sea sickness. Studies have been done both to ascertain
whether it’s effective—which, of course, it is—and also to
try to figure out how it works. Morning sickness, nausea,
during pregnancy causes misery for a lot of women. Women
suffering from morning sickness were given beverages with
ginger during the first trimester of pregnancy and compared
with women given placebo. Ginger alleviated the nausea in a
highly significant percentage of the women. A trial of
taking ginger and protein after chemotherapy demonstrated
that patients were able to lessen their intake of
anti-emetic medications.(42,43,44,45)
- Bacterial Diarrhea: The primary cause
of death in young children in developing countries is
bacterial-induced diarrhea. The bacteria don’t cause it
directly. The toxins they release do. Zingerone, a compound
found in ginger, binds the toxin so that it cannot interact
with the gut, thus preventing diarrhea and the resultant
death. The standard treatment now is antibiotics coupled
with electrolyte replacement, which would indicate that the
antibiotics are not particularly effective. Since the long
term effects of antibiotics are now known to be disastrous
and antibiotics are expensive, it’s hard to imagine a
legitimate reason for not implementing large-scale trials of
ginger on children suffering from bacterial diarrhea.(46)
- Other Benefits: The benefits of ginger
are amazing, and they don’t stop with the ones listed above.
Here, briefly, are a few more that have been studied:
- Post-stroke neurological urinary incontinence can be
helped with ginger-salt-partitioned moxibustion.(47)
- Patients with hospital ventilator0induced pneumonia
benefit from ginger extract.(48)
- Trigeminal nerve pain is alleviated with a
traditional Japanese herbal combination that includes
ginger, Saiko-Keishi-To.(49)
- Blood urea nitrogen, the BUN of blood tests, is
markedly decreased by ginger extract.(50)
- Cerebral ischemia, small stroke, causes brain
damage, including memory loss. Ginger extract
significantly reduces damage and alleviates the loss of
memory.(51)
- One study demonstrates that ginger extract may help
prevent heart attacks.(52)
Astounding, isn’t it? The range and severity of conditions
that ginger can help is stunning, and the degree of
effectiveness is even more amazing. It’s time for modern
medicine to take a step back and ask itself how it got on such a
wrong track. When drugs and treatments that are less effective
and also full of adverse effects are used instead of first
looking to a natural treatment like ginger, then surely a wrong
turn has been taken.
Adverse Effects of Ginger
Ginger is almost completely safe. It is possible, though
exceedingly rare, to experience an allergic reaction associated
with anaphylactic shock. Obviously, if that occurs, you should
not attempt to take it again.
Ginger interacts with many drugs. In most cases, the effect
is additive, not contradictory. You are told not to take ginger
with these drugs—but frankly, one should ask why the doctor
doesn’t start with ginger and add the drugs if needed. Here are
some of the drugs involved, according to Drugs.com(53):
- Any heart medication.
- Diabetes medications, including insulin, glipizide
(Glucotrol), glyburide (Glynase, Diabeta, Micronase),
chlorpropamide (Diabinese), tolbutamide (Orinase),
tolazamide (Tolinase), troglitazone (Rezulin), rosiglitazone
(Avandia), repaglinide (Prandin), metformin (Glucophage),
and others.
- Warfarin (coumadin).
- Aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), diclofenac
(Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin
(Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen
(Aleve, Naprosyn), piroxicam (Feldene), and others.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) including
ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, others), naproxen (Aleve,
Naprosyn, Naprelan, Anaprox, others), ketoprofen (Orudis KT,
Orudis), indomethacin (Indocin), etodolac (Lodine),
nabumetone (Relafen), oxaprozin (Daypro), piroxicam
(Feldene), sulindac (Clinoril), tolmetin (Tolectin), and
others
- Blood thinners, usually used for deep vein thrombosis
(often during surgeries), including ardeparin (Normiflo),
dalteparin (Fragmin), danaparoid (Orgaran), enoxaparin
(Lovenox), or heparin.
Of course, if you take other herbs with ginger, be sure to
check if they’re blood thinners. If so, you may need to stop
either the ginger or the other herb. At least, add one or the
other slowly to assure that there are no adverse consequences.
Forms of Ginger
In general, for personal use, there are two forms of ginger:
extract and tea. Extracts may be purchased, of course, but be
aware that there are two forms of extract, water and alcohol
based. With many herbs, water based extracts are fine. However,
alcohol based ginger extract has proven to be far superior over
and over. Therefore, if you’re planning to use ginger extract
medicinally, you should take the alcohol-based variety.
Ginger tea is a treat for many of us. You can buy ginger teas
in tea bags, but they’re generally not as beneficial as making
your own. It’s not difficult. Just follow these instructions:
Peel about a cubic inch of ginger. You may either slice it
thinly or grate it. Boil it in about 1½ cups of water for
about 10 minutes. If you wish, you could add a bit of lime
or lemon juice. If you want it sweetened, add some honey or
stevia. Pour into a cup and enjoy!
Everyone’s taste is different. This is a starting point.
Use more or less ginger as suits you.
With a special thank you to GreenMedInfo—a
wonderful resource!
by Heidi Stevenson
References:
- (1)Histone
deacetylase inhibitors from the rhizomes of Zingiber
zerumbet.
- (2)[6]-Gingerol
induces reactive oxygen species regulated mitochondrial cell
death pathway in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells.
- (3)[6]-Gingerol
inhibits metastasis of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells
- (4)Zerumbone,
a tropical ginger sesquiterpene, inhibits colon and lung
carcinogenesis in mice
- (5)Ginger
Extract Inhibits Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase and
c-Myc Expression in A549 Lung Cancer Cells
- (6)[6]-Gingerol
induces cell cycle arrest and cell death of mutant
p53-expressing pancreatic cancer cells.
- (7)Ginger
Kills Ovarian Cancer Cells
- (8)In
vitro and in vivo modulation of testosterone mediated
alterations in apoptosis related proteins by [6]-gingerol.
- (9)Inhibitory
effects of Zingiber officinale Roscoe derived components on
aldose reductase activity in vitro and in vivo.
- (10)Anti-diabetic
and hypolipidaemic properties of ginger (Zingiber
officinale) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
- (11)Comparative
studies of antibacterial effect of some antibiotics and
ginger (Zingiber officinale) on two pathogenic bacteria
- (12)Antibacterial
effect of Zingiber officinale and Garcinia kola on
respiratory tract pathogens.
- (13)Antibacterial
activity of [10]-gingerol and [12]-gingerol isolated from
ginger rhizome against periodontal bacteria.
- (14)Inhibition
of human pathogenic fungi by ethnobotanically selected plant
extracts.
- (15)Inhibition
of gastric H+, K+-ATPase and Helicobacter pylori growth by
phenolic antioxidants of Zingiber officinale.
- (16)The
anti-ulcer effect in rats of ginger constituents.
- (17)Anti-diabetic
and hypolipidaemic properties of ginger (Zingiber
officinale) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
- (18)Inhibitory
effects of Zingiber officinale Roscoe derived components on
aldose reductase activity in vitro and in vivo.
- (19)Effect
of ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale on dyslipidaemia
in diabetic rats.
- (20)Neuroprotective
effect of ginger on anti-oxidant enzymes in
streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
- (21)Hexane
fraction of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus extract inhibits the
production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in
LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells via the NF-kappaB
pathway
- (22)6-Shogaol
inhibits monosodium urate crystal-induced inflammation – An
in vivo and in vitro study
- (23)6-Gingerol
inhibits ROS and iNOS through the suppression of PKC-α and
NF-κB pathways in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mouse
macrophages
- (24)Ginger—An
Herbal Medicinal Product with Broad Anti-Inflammatory
Actions
- (25)Chemopreventive
anti-inflammatory activities of curcumin and other
phytochemicals mediated by MAP kinase phosphatase-5 in
prostate cells
- (26)Effect
of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional
dyspepsia
- (27)Pharmacological
basis for the medicinal use of ginger in gastrointestinal
disorders.
- (28)Gastroprotective
Effect of Ginger Rhizome (Zingiber officinale) Extract: Role
of Gallic Acid and Cinnamic Acid in H+, K+-ATPase/H. pylori
Inhibition and Anti-Oxidative Mechanism
- (29)Protective
effects of dietary ginger (Zingiber officinales Rosc.) on
lindane-induced oxidative stress in rats
- (30)Protective
effect of Zingiber officinale roscoe against anticancer drug
doxorubicin-induced acute nephrotoxicity.
- (31)Protective
effect of ginger extract against bromobenzene-induced
hepatotoxicity in male rats.
- (32)Neuroprotective
evaluation of extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) root
in monosodium glutamate-induced toxicity in different brain
areas male albino rats.
- (33)Potential
efficacy of ginger as a natural supplement for nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease
- (34)Screening
of microfilaricidal effects of plant extracts against
Dirofilaria immitis
- (35)Antifilarial
effect of Zingiber officinale on Dirofilaria immitis.
- (36)Comparison
of effects of ginger, mefenamic acid, and ibuprofen on pain
in women with primary dysmenorrhea.
- (37)Ginger
(Zingiber officinale Rosc.), a dietary supplement, protects
mice against radiation-induced lethality: mechanism of
action.
- (38)Zingiber
officinale exhibits behavioral radioprotection against
radiation-induced CTA in a gender-specific manner.
- (39)6-Shogaol
inhibits monosodium urate crystal-induced inflammation–an in
vivo and in vitro study.
- (40)Effects
of ginger on primary knee osteoarthritis
- (41)Evaluation
of the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Zingiber
officinale rhizomes in rat collagen-induced arthritis.
- (42)Ginger
root against seasickness. A controlled trial on the open
sea.
- (43)Effects
of ginger on motion sickness and gastric slow-wave
dysrhythmias induced by
- (44)Ginger
syrup as an antiemetic in early pregnancy.
- (45)Protein
and ginger for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced delayed
nausea.
- (46)Herbal
medicine’s secret exposed
- (47)Randomized
controlled study on ginger-salt-partitioned moxibustion at
shenque (CV
on
urination disorders poststroke
- ()Ginger
extract reduces delayed gastric emptying and nosocomial
pneumonia in adult respiratory distress syndrome patients
hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
- (48)
- (49)Effectiveness
of Saiko-Keishi-To (TJ-10, a Kampo herbal medicine) for
trigeminal neuralgia in rats
- (50)The
effect of ginger extract on blood urea nitrogen and
creatinine in mice.
- (51)Zingiber
officinale Mitigates Brain Damage and Improves Memory
Impairment in Focal Cerebral Ischemic Rat
- (52)Aqueous
extracts of onion, garlic and ginger inhibit platelet
aggregation and alter arachidonic acid metabolism.
- (53)Ginger(Drugs.com
reference)
-
Ginger ‘may fight ovarian cancer’
-
Ginger ‘could halt bowel cancer’
-
Health News: Ginger could cut ulcer risk, a new vaccine
could protect against MRSA and could a dose of zinc silence
tinnitus?
-
Ginger (University of Maryland Medical Center Reference)
-
Ginger has painkilling properties: research
Source:
http://gaia-health.com/articles501/000526-ginger.shtml
Health Freedom Alliance
Health & Wellness Foundation
CHAD Foundation
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