History
Ginger has long been used in many cultures such as China, Japan, and India. Since the 1500s, Ginger has been used for many ailments including asthma, colds, flus, and fatigue. Currently, ginger is commonly found in beverages, soaps, candles, cosmetics, and of course in many culinary dishes. As the Christmas season comes upon us, Ginger might be used in more baked goods or fragrances around the household. Though ginger normally accounts for less than 0.5% of the content in ginger – related baked goods, it is still worth mentioning the health benefits that can be derived from it.
Health Benefits
The health benefits of Ginger are quite extensive, and include effects on a variety of different organ systems.
- Anti – emetic – alleviates nausea and vomiting
- Anti – inflammatory – decreases inflammation
- Anti – platelet agent – helps with blood disorders
- Stimulant – helps combat fatigue, stress, and overwork
- Carminative – helps promote digestion
- Diaphoretic – helps bring down fevers
- Anti – rheumatic – helps relieve pain
- Anti – cancer – helps prevent cancer
- Anti- oxidant – decreases oxidative stress
- Bitter – increases digestion
- Anti-spasmodic – decreases spasms in general
- Hepatoprotective – protects the liver
- Anti – microbial – fights off viruses and bacteria
Research
The research is quite extensive for ginger, including its benefit for chronic pain, PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome), menstrual cramps (Dysmenorrhea), nausea and vomiting (in cancer treatment, pregnancy, or in general), and in sickness. The research provided below is only a brief glance at the research that does exist for ginger and its medicinal use.
Ginger decreased nausea and vomiting in pregnancy within 1 day of treatment: (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.0004-8666.2003.00039.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false).
Ginger decreased PMS symptoms within 3 months: (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4040198/).
Ginger decreased intensity of and duration of pain in menstrual cramping (dysmenorrhea) within 5 days: (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/92/).
Cautions/Concerns
Though ginger can be quite useful medicinally, it can also be quite harmful in certain situations. Therefore, ginger should only be taken if advised by your health care provider. Specifically, ginger should be used with caution in those with diabetes (can cause blood sugars to dip too low), with gastrointestinal disorders (can irritate the stomach and esophagus), or on anti – coagulant or anti – platelet therapy.
In addition, some sources of ginger have been known to be contaminated with heavy metals and toxins, and so, one should always consider the source of their supplements or food products.
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Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.