Antioxidant Health Benefits Of Ginger

The ginger root has long been used as a spice in Asian cooking. In addition, ginger root is widely used a natural medicine for many disorders and diseases; it has been used for treating everything from motion sickness to menstrual cramps to food poisoning and many other disorders. The health benefits of ginger come from the same compound that gives ginger its distinctive hot and pungent taste, gingerol.

What is Ginger?

Ginger is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant and is characterized by its thick, twisting stems. The flesh of the ginger root can be yellow, white or red in color, depending on the variety. The root is covered with a brownish skin that may either be thick or thin, depending on what stage the plant was harvested at.

Ginger adds an aromatic, pungent and spicy flavor to Asian stir fries and other dishes. Ginger can be used fresh or dried, powdered, pickled, preserved, or crystallized. Whether you use it as a spice or a medicine, the health benefits of ginger are wide-ranging.

Ginger is a good source of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6.

Ginger for Treating Nausea and Vomiting

Ginger is very effective in alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. It promotes the elimination of intestinal gas and relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract. Ginger can aid an upset stomach by providing relief from the feeling of bloating and gas. Ginger also protects the stomach lining from developing stomach ulcers.

Ginger is very effective in preventing the symptoms of motion sickness, especially seasickness. It have been shown to be far superior to Dramamine, a commonly used over-the-counter drug for motion sickness. Ginger reduces all symptoms associated with motion sickness, including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating.

Ginger benefits have been shown to be very useful in reducing the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Unlike antivomiting drugs, which have some potentially severe side effects, ginger is extremely safe, and only a small dose is required. Ginger is also effective in treating problems with painful and irregular menstrual symptoms.

Because it's so concentrated, it doesn't take a lot to receive the health benefits of ginger. For nausea, ginger tea made by steeping one or two 1/2-inch slices of fresh ginger in a cup of hot water will likely be all you need to settle your stomach. For arthritis relief, add as much fresh ginger to your cooked foods as possible; more ginger provides quicker and better relief.

Treating Colds and Sore Throat with Ginger

Ginger is an excellent remedy for soothing an irritated throat. Regular consumption of ginger stimulates the secretion of mucus, which soothes and provides relief to the throat. Ginger tea is a very popular home remedy in most Asian countries as treatment against the common cold because of its antiviral properties. Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flues.

Since the oil present in ginger roots is an excellent expectorant, it is quite effective in treating respiratory problems related to colds, flu, cough, bronchitis and asthma. A mixture of honey and ginger is often used as an immediate relief for cough and respiratory problems.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger

The health benefits of ginger come from very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances can help relieve swelling and inflammation associated with arthritis and various other muscular disorders. Many people with osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. Gingerols also help reduce pain caused by muscle aches, headaches and rheumatism.

Protection Against Cancer

Ginger has been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells that may cause human colorectal and ovarian cancer. Ginger extracts have been shown to have both antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects on all cells.

Ginger may be of special benefit for ovarian cancer patients because cancer cells exposed to ginger do not become resistant to its cancer-destroying effects, as they do with chemotherapy.

Health Benefits for the Heart

According to a ancient Chinese belief, ginger strengthens your heart, and ginger oil is often used in Chinese medicine for preventing and treating heart diseases. Ginger helps in reducing blood cholesterol and also prevents blood clotting.

Discover more health benefits of herbs and spices.

Stan Mrak has had a passion for anti aging nutrition for over 30 years. Visit his website at www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com for the most practical and useful information on antioxidants anywhere. Discover how antioxidants hold the secret for staying young and avoiding degenerative diseases.

Ginger - Powerful Antioxidant for Alzheimer's, Cancer and Heart Disease

Not only is ginger (Zingiber officinale) one of the most popular of all the spices but is also of the top five antioxidant foods (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2006). Numerous studies investigating ginger's medicinal properties have also shown it to be effective in conditions such as motion sickness and the prevention and treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammatory diseases and stomach ulcers.

Research has shown ginger to have effects against the following conditions:

Alzheimer's Disease

Two of ginger's most important antioxidants, curcumin and gingerol, have been shown to inhibit and even reverse the deposition in the brain of the amyloid plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, zingerone, another of ginger's antioxidants, neutralizes the powerful oxidant, peroxynitrite, which has also been implicated as an aggravating factor in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Cancer

Several phytochemicals found in ginger have demonstrated strong anticancer activities in both laboratory and clinical studies. While ginger's anti-tumorigenic effects have yet to be fully understood, they are thought to involve the following mechanisms:

Anti-inflammatory: Cancer is often associated with inflammatory processes and ginger's potent anti-inflammatory activity reduces the risk of inflammation-induced malignancy. Ginger is an effective COX-2 inhibitor, curtailing the activity of potentially damaging COX-2 enzymes, the overproduction of which may cause harm to several tissue types.

Cancer cell death: The pungent vanilloids, gingerol and paradol found in ginger, are very effective in killing cancer cells. They achieve this both by direct cytotoxic activity against the tumour and indirectly by inducing apoptosis in the cancer cells.

Reducing tumour initiation and growth: The phytochemical zerumbone antagonises the processes of both tumour initiation and promotion. It does this by inducing antioxidant enzymes and by weakening the pro-inflammatory signalling pathways associated with communication between cancer cells.

Prevents DNA damage: Melatonin is an antioxidant produced by the body that is also found in some plants, such as ginger. It has the valuable property of being able to access most parts of the body, including brain and nervous tissue, and protects DNA against carcinogenic free-radical damage.

Anti-bacterial: Ginger can eliminate all strains of Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that are the principal cause of stomach cancer.

Cardiovascular Disease and Blood Lipids

Ginger has been shown to lower dangerously high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while raising the levels of beneficial HDL. These lipid-modulating effects are partly due to the inhibition of fat absorption from the intestines. In addition, ginger's cardioprotective effects are enhanced by its ability to reduce platelet stickiness and in so doing further reduce the risk of heart attacks and thrombotic strokes.

Anti-inflammatory Properties

Ginger's long-valued role as a treatment for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions has now been substantiated by a number of scientific studies that show how it is involved in several anti-inflammatory mechanisms. It is a strong inhibitor of COX-2 enzymes, pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins that are all important components of the inflammatory response. Abnormal tissue inflammation occurs when an excess of prostaglandins, cytokines and COX-2 enzymes are released by cells in joint tissue. The more of these molecules that are released, the more inflammatory cells and chemicals are attracted to the joints where they cause pain and damage to the joint surfaces. These substances are integral to inflammatory mechanisms that can involve many tissue types, as well as the condition known as chronic systemic inflammation.

Antimicrobial Effects

The hydrochloric acid found in the stomach is a powerful defence against ingested pathogens and rapidly destroys almost all organisms that are taken in with food. Helicobacter pylori, however, is an unusually resilient bacterial species that thrives in the hostile, extremely acidic environment of the stomach. Once established, this bacteria causes a range of problems including indigestion, esophagitis, gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and stomach cancer. Ginger has traditionally been used as a treatment for stomach ailments, and it has recently been shown to kill all nineteen pathogenic Helicobacter pylori species. The regular ingestion of ginger should help to kill these dangerous bacteria before they become established, and thereby pre-empt the need for antibiotics which destroy many valuable intestinal bacteria, in addition to their intended targets.

Diabetes

Although there has been relatively little investigation into the antidiabetic properties of ginger, promising early studies show that it can increase insulin sensitivity. This suggests that, in all likelihood, it is a valuable prophylactic spice against this disease.

Obesity

Ginger has a dual antiobesity effect. The phytochemicals gingerol and shogaol increase the metabolic rate and thus help to "burn off" excessive fat and also suppress the absorption of calorie-dense dietary fats from the intestines.

Antioxidant Effects

Ginger is a source of a large number of important antioxidants that, amongst other activities, reduce lipid oxidation by enhancing the activities of crucial internally produced antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase. Melatonin, in particular, is not only a highly effective free-radical scavenger itself, but also stimulates production of the main antioxidant enzyme of the brain, glutathione peroxidase.

Ginger's prominent role in traditional medical systems have been validated by contemporary research. As is the case with most spices, its preventive effects are enhanced when taken with other spices as there are synergistic effects between the medicinally active compounds that occur in this food group.

Keith Scott is a medical doctor who has a special interest in nutritional medicine. He has written several books on health related topics including Medicinal Seasonings, The Healing Power Of Spices and Natural Home Pharmacy. For more information about ginger,the medicinal value of other spices and spice supplements go to: http://medspice.com