The medical form of ginger historically was called "Jamaica ginger"; it was classified as a stimulant and carminative, and
used frequently for dyspepsia and colic. It was also frequently employed to disguise the taste of medicines. Ginger is on the FDA''s ''generally recognized as safe'' list, though it does interact with some medications, including warfarin. Ginger is contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones as the herb promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder.<3> Ginger may also decrease joint pain from arthritis, though studies on this have been inconsistent, and may have blood thinning and cholesterol lowering properties that may make it useful for treating heart disease.
The characteristic odor and flavor of ginger root is caused by a mixture of zingerone, shoagoles and gingerols,
volatile oils that compose about one to three percent of the weight of
fresh ginger. In laboratory animals, the gingerols increase the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and have analgesic, sedative, antipyretic and antibacterial properties <5>
Nausea
Ginger has been found effective by multiple studies for treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and
chemotherapy,<6> though ginger was not found superior over a placebo for post-operative nausea.
Modern research on nausea and motion sickness used approximately 1
gram of ginger powder daily. Though there are claims for efficacy in
all causes of nausea, the Physicians Desk Reference
recommends against taking ginger rhizomes for morning sickness commonly
associated with pregnancy due to possible mutagenic effects,
though Chinese women have traditionally used ginger rhizomes during pregnancy
to combat morning sickness and the Natural Medicines Comprehensive
Database states that it is likely safe for use in pregnancy when
consumed in food-amounts.
Cancer Research
Aside from controlling the nausea associated with cancer caused by
chemotherapy, ginger is now proving itself more and more a direct actor
in the treatment of cancer, not just its side effects.
In 2006, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
released details regarding its ongoing investigation of ginger as a
treatment and preventative for both ovarian and colon cancers. In
laboratory studies, the powdered form of the root was dissolved in a
solution and applied to ovarian cancer cells, directly resulting in the
death of every single cancer cell line tested. Two types of cancer cell
death, both apoptosis (the suicide of cancer cells) and autophagy
(cancer cells digesting or attacking themselves) were reported.
Ginger, when administered responsibly (moderate doses to
non-pregnant patients) triggers virtually no side effects, which would
place it, if studies continue to reap positive results, on a pedestal
above other, harder to administer treatments that induce harsher side
effects with uncertain success rates, for example chemotherapy.
The author of the study, J. Rebecca Liu, M.D., reasons that "most
ovarian cancer patients develop recurrent disease that eventually
becomes resistant to standard chemotherapy - which is associated with
resistance to apoptosis. If ginger can cause autophagic cell death in
addition to apoptosis, it may circumvent resistance to conventional
chemotherapy." <7>
Folk medicinal uses
There are a variety of uses suggested for ginger. A tea brewed from the is a folk remedy for colds. Ginger ale and ginger beer
have been recommended as "stomach settlers" for generations in
countries where the beverages are made and ginger water was commonly
used to avoid heat cramps in the US.
Ginger has also been historically used to treat inflammation which
several scientific studies support, though one arthritis trial showed
ginger to be no better than a placebo or ibuprofen.<4> Research on rats suggests that ginger may be useful for treating diabetes.