I love how science is ever changing... I eat a piece of candied ginger after dinner every night. For me it has a settling effect on my stomach and also quells the need for something sweet after a meal.
(Berkeley Wellness)
Besides its use in cooking around the world, ginger may have medicinal qualities. But does it really reduce nausea, ease arthritis, or have other health benefits?
Ginger is the rhizome (underground stem) of Zingiber officinale, which grows in warm climates. It contains many interesting compounds. The best known of these are called gingerols, which produce the hot sensation in your mouth, as well as the pungent flavor and aroma. Fresh or powdered, pickled or candied, ginger adds a unique zest to any dish. Like many herbs, it does great things in the lab, but its proven medicinal effects, in real life, remain limited.
Some recent findings:
• Ginger has anti-cancer properties. For instance, researchers at the University of Michigan recently noted that it keeps ovarian cancer cells at bay—in a test tube. This is a long way from saying that ginger can prevent cancer in humans, however.
• Ginger can inhibit the growth of bacteria. For example, in one lab study, it reduced H. pylori, the bacteria in the stomach responsible for most ulcers and possibly stomach cancer.
• In one study, people with asthma who took ginger reported fewer symptoms, but tests found no changes in lung function. A subsequent study found no benefit at all.
• Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and thus has been studied as an arthritis remedy—with mixed results. More research is needed on ginger and other proposed herbal remedies for arthritis, according to recent reviews of evidence.
• Ginger does appear to relieve the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. A review from the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that the evidence for this is “encouraging.” Ginger may also relieve post-operative nausea, along with nausea following chemotherapy. Many people take ginger for motion sickness—though there is no solid evidence it helps for this, it can’t hurt.
If you want to try ginger for nausea and vomiting, you can buy ginger capsules. But keep in mind, large doses of ginger may cause indigestion and nausea, rather than cure them, and long-term safety is unknown. You can try candied ginger or ginger tea. Most bottled ginger ales contain little or no real ginger.
(Berkeley Wellness)
Besides its use in cooking around the world, ginger may have medicinal qualities. But does it really reduce nausea, ease arthritis, or have other health benefits?
Ginger is the rhizome (underground stem) of Zingiber officinale, which grows in warm climates. It contains many interesting compounds. The best known of these are called gingerols, which produce the hot sensation in your mouth, as well as the pungent flavor and aroma. Fresh or powdered, pickled or candied, ginger adds a unique zest to any dish. Like many herbs, it does great things in the lab, but its proven medicinal effects, in real life, remain limited.
Some recent findings:
• Ginger has anti-cancer properties. For instance, researchers at the University of Michigan recently noted that it keeps ovarian cancer cells at bay—in a test tube. This is a long way from saying that ginger can prevent cancer in humans, however.
• Ginger can inhibit the growth of bacteria. For example, in one lab study, it reduced H. pylori, the bacteria in the stomach responsible for most ulcers and possibly stomach cancer.
• In one study, people with asthma who took ginger reported fewer symptoms, but tests found no changes in lung function. A subsequent study found no benefit at all.
• Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and thus has been studied as an arthritis remedy—with mixed results. More research is needed on ginger and other proposed herbal remedies for arthritis, according to recent reviews of evidence.
• Ginger does appear to relieve the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. A review from the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that the evidence for this is “encouraging.” Ginger may also relieve post-operative nausea, along with nausea following chemotherapy. Many people take ginger for motion sickness—though there is no solid evidence it helps for this, it can’t hurt.
If you want to try ginger for nausea and vomiting, you can buy ginger capsules. But keep in mind, large doses of ginger may cause indigestion and nausea, rather than cure them, and long-term safety is unknown. You can try candied ginger or ginger tea. Most bottled ginger ales contain little or no real ginger.
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