Ginger

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Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is mostly known to us in the West as a spice and a

flavor. In China, however, it has been used for thousands of years for medicinal

purposes, such as nausea, stomachache, rheumatism, and toothache. Modern

research has found ginger to be a powerful anti-oxidant and to have strong

anti-inflammatory effects.

The pharmacologically active components of the ginger root are thought to be

aromatic ketones known as gingerols. These have been shown in experimental

studies to inhibit both the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways and the

production of prostaglandins, thromboxane, and leukotrienes (Kiuchi et al.,

1992; Srivastava, K.C., 1986; Flynn, D.L. et al., 1986), just as the NSAIDs do.

No significant side effects have been reported.

Ginger oil is obtained by steam distillation of dried ginger root. In an

experimental study on rats (Sharma et al., 1997), arthritis was induced in the

knee and paw by injection of bacilli, leading to inflammation. One group of rats

was also given ginger oil by mouth for 28 days starting the day before the

injection. The rats given ginger oil had less than half the knee and paw

inflammation compared to the controls.

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-013.shtml