Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is native to Asia, and Arabian traders brought it to Ancient Rome about 2000 years ago. Chinese herbalists have used ginger since the 4th century BC for treating nausea, cold, coughs and a variety of other ailments.
Ginger was introduced to the West Indies and Mexico by Spanish explorers where it now thrives. Ginger is used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for treating inflammation and rheumatism.
The largest producers of ginger are India, Indonesia, Jamaica, and Australia.
Health Benefits of Ginger
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Nutrients
Ginger is a good source of magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper and vitamin B6. Ginger is a source of gingerol. a potent inhibitor of NO (nitric oxide) synthesis, which in plain language means it has powerful antioxidant capabilities.
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Anti Inflammatory
Ginger suppresses prostaglandin synthesis through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2, much the same way non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do, but without the undesirable side effects.
Ginger extract has also been shown to inhibit chemokine (inflammatory protein) expression, which may be useful for suppressing arthritic inflammation.
Other studies have shown ginger to be effective in reducing inflammation and swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and muscular discomfort.
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Arthritis
261 osteoarthritis sufferers received ginger extract or placebo in a 6-week double blind study. The group who took the ginger extract experienced a reduction in knee pain while standing and while walking.
At the Department of Rheumatology in Tel Aviv, Israel, 29 patients with gonarthritis (inflammation of the knee joint) showed a significant decrease in pain levels after 6 months of treatment with ginger extract.
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Cancer
The active constituents in ginger are polyphenolic compounds called gingerols, and have been shown to inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori, which is associated with the development of gastric and colon cancer.
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| Nutrient Values of Ginger Root per 100g |
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Energy Value
333kj
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Sugars
1.70g
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Dietary Fiber
2.0g
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Sodium
13mg
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Zinc
0.34mg
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Potassium
415mg
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Magnesium
43mg
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Copper
0.226mg
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Calcium
16mg
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Vitamin C
5.0mg
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Vitamin E
0.26mg
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Vit. B3 (Niacin)
0.750mg
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Vitamin B6
0.160mg
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Vit. B1 (Thiamin)
0.025mg
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Vit. B2 (Riboflavin)
0.034mg
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References:
1. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno.
2. Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology.
3. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
4. Borrelli F, Capasso R, Aviello G, Pittler MH, Izzo AA. Effectiveness and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting. Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Apr;105(4):849-56. PMID: 15802416.
5. Fischer-Rasmussen W, Kjaer SK, Dahl C, Asping U. Ginger treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. 1: Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1991 Jan 4;38(1):19-24. PMID: 1988321.
6. Ficker CE, Arnason JT, Vindas PS, Alvarez LP, Akpagana K, Gbéassor M, De Souza C, Smith ML. Inhibition of human pathogenic fungi by ethnobotanically selected plant extracts. Mycoses. 2003 Feb;46(1-2):29-37. PMID: 12588480.
7. Ficker CE, Smith ML, Susiarti S, Leaman DJ, Irawati C, Arnason JT. Inhibition of human pathogenic fungi by members of Zingiberaceae used by the Kenyah (Indonesian Borneo). J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Apr;85(2-3):289-93. PMID: 12639754.
8. Altman RD, Marcussen KC. Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2001 Nov;44(11):2531-8. PMID: 11710709.
9. Wigler I, Grotto I, Caspi D, Yaron M. The effects of Zintona EC (a ginger extract) on symptomatic gonarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2003 Nov;11(11):783-9. PMID: 14609531.
10. Phan PV, Sohrabi A, Polotsky A, Hungerford DS, Lindmark L, Frondoza CG. Ginger extract components suppress induction of chemokine expression in human synoviocytes. J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Feb;11(1):149-54. PMID: 15750374
11. Srivastava KC, Mustafa T. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in rheumatism and musculoskeletal disorders. Med Hypotheses. 1992 Dec;39(4):342-8. PMID: 1494322.
12. Srivastava KC, Mustafa T. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and rheumatic disorders. Med Hypotheses. 1989 May;29(1):25-8. PMID: 2501634.
13. Grzanna R, Lindmark L, Frondoza CG. Ginger--an herbal medicinal product with broad anti-inflammatory actions. J Med Food. 2005 Summer;8(2):125-32. PMID: 16117603.
14. Mahady GB, Pendland SL, Yun GS, Lu ZZ, Stoia A. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and the gingerols inhibit the growth of Cag A+ strains of Helicobacter pylori. Anticancer Res. 2003 Sep-Oct;23(5A):3699-702. PMID: 14666666.
15. Langner E, Greifenberg S, Gruenwald J. Ginger: history and use. Adv Ther. 1998 Jan-Feb;15(1):25-44. PMID: 10178636.
16. Lien HC, Sun WM, Chen YH, Kim H, Hasler W, Owyang C. Effects of ginger on motion sickness and gastric slow-wave dysrhythmias induced by circular vection. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2003 Mar;284(3):G481-9. PMID: 12576305.
17. Qian DS, Liu ZS. [Pharmacologic studies of antimotion sickness actions of ginger] Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1992 Feb;12(2):95-8, 70. PMID: 1498536
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