Medicinal Ginger - Excellent Remedy For All Kinds Of Diseases

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Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a plant whose underground tuber used as a spice. It can be used fresh, dried, powdered or as oil. It is excellent as a condiment, but its extraordinary healing powers is what stands out among the many other plants.

 It is best known as a remedy for nausea, but its properties also help cure many diseases and conditions. This exotic spice comes originally from the sunny climate of South Asia and it is largely grown in tropical countries like India, Jamaica and Nigeria.
Its amazing therapeutic properties are well known for thousands of years. It is mentioned in the writings of Confucius more than 500 BCE and the Chinese and Indian medical texts written 2,000 years ago.

Curative effect of ginger

The scientific research has established that ginger helps balance the immune system and stimulates its proper functioning. It was also found to improve the protective function of the immune system. It also has antioxidant properties, and the ability to prevent the byproducts of cellular metabolism of damaging cells. Ginger supports natural defenses against diseases, activating the T-cells that are an important part of the immune system.

Cancer

Studies indicate the capability of ginger in the destruction of cancer cells, including some of the more aggressive and difficult to cure forms of cancer such as lung, ovarian, colon, breast, skin, prostate and pancreas. Laboratory findings revealed that bioactive compounds of ginger enhance cellular and humoral immune response. After the results and studies on mice that it was pointed out that it can stop the growth and progression of prostate cancer cells by 56%, with no residual toxic effects. Also test were performed which demonstrated that gingerol, the main active fraction of ginger, can stop the growth of colon cancer cells. The mice given the gingerol before and after injection of tumor cells, compared to the control group which received the component, developed tumors much smaller than those in the control group. Gingerols also kills cancer cells by inducing apoptosis of ovarian (programmed cell death) and autofagocitozu (self-degradation).

These are just few examples that suggest that ginger has anti-cancer properties, the list of studies is far greater, and it is impossible to express all here, but suffice it to say that ginger boosts natural immunity and helps the body to fight the cancer cells.

Diabetes

Ginger can be of great value with the effects of diabetic complications in people, concluded a study conducted on mice administered an aqueous extract of ginger. When induced diabetic mice, which is then treated with water extract and it had no significant efficacy in lowering blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, in contrast to the control group. It is also observed a significant reduction of protein in the urine, retention of initial body weight and reduced water intake and discharge of urine. The results show that raw ginger possesses hypoglycemic, Hypocholesterolemic and hipolipidic potential. Also, according to one study, ginger extract is able to increase the uptake of glucose into muscle cells independently of insulin, which is again responsibility of the main part of ginger, gingerol.

Antibiotic activity

It has been proven that ginger has anti-bacterial effect on the respiratory and periodontal infections. Also, its effect on Staphylococcus aureus showed that ginger extract may be superior. It works on many well-known bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, clostridium, listeria, Enterococcus. Zingerone, a compound found in ginger is very effective in bacterial diarrhea, which can be a major cause of death in children in developing countries. They did this by killing bacteria, but toxins that they release. Zingerone binds with the poison, so it cannot have interaction with the gut, preventing diarrhea and resultant death. Standard treatment is done with antibiotics and electrolytes, but taking into account the side effects of antibiotic and their high costs, the treatment should be done just by ginger.

Antifungal properties

Fungal infections are among the toughest, but ginger can also help in their treatment. The study demonstrates that the administration of ginger is prominent than other known plant in the treatment of fungal infections that are often incurable.

Ulcerative diseases

Ginger has the unique ability to influence gastric disturbances. In a double blind study, people who suffer from dyspepsia with slow emptying of gastric contents were taking ginger capsules that stimulate gastric emptying without any negative effects. It was found that ginger contains antispasm agent, which helps to explain some of its beneficial effects on the digestive tract. Also, established the connection between bacteria Helicobacter pylori with the formation of ulcers, and the Ginger that can help because it is proven its effectiveness in inhibiting the bacteria, as well as reducing the ulcer. Also, ginger protects the gastric mucosa. Preliminary research indicates that nine compounds found in ginger can bind to human serotonin receptors which can affect the digestive function.

Inflamations

Ginger can very effectively operate in a variety of inflammation. Neurodegenerative diseases can be treated by the ginger ability to inhibit the production of nitric oxide and cytokines. Its anti-inflammatory abilities may be helpful in arthritis, cancer prevention, prostate disease, and general inflammation. When it comes to asthma, it was found that ginger suppresses the Th2-mediated immune response. Th2 time refers to the fact that the immune system attacks foreign invaders. However, overactive Th2 response is what leads to conditions such as asthma. The mice given the extract of ginger in aqueous solution had a reduction in airway inflammation accompanied by reduced Th2 response. Thus, there is evidence that ginger may help reduce asthma attacks mediating with overactive immune system.

Toxicity

Ginger helps prevent the toxic effects of a wide range of substances, including those of the pesticide lindane, chemicals bromobenzene, and MSG.

Period cramps

A study in young women suffering from menstrual pain finds that ginger can act as effectively on menstrual pain, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers uring and placebo.

Radiation

One study found that ginger can prevent vomiting and disturbed sense of taste associated with radiation. Another study was conducted on mice that received the high dose of the extract of ginger before exposure to gamma radiation, when compared to mice that received the distilled water before exposure. It has been shown that the extract reduced the severity of symptoms and mortality, and exposed mice were protected from death caused by changes in the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow.

Gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis

Anti-inflammatory drugs for these diseases often cause adverse side effects including renal failure in 40% of men who take it, jaundice in 10%, headache in 12%, and the elevation of liver function, of damage to the liver, plus a number of other problems. But ginger in the tests proved equally, if not more effective because it is hard to imagine any legitimate reason that doctors continue prescribing medication instead of ginger extract.

Nausea

Ginger is very well studied for its ability to relieve classic nausea in all kinds of situations. It has long been used for nausea caused by motion, as well as seasickness. Studies that have been made have established its undoubted efficiency as well as the way in which it operates. Also, ginger helps women suffering from morning sickness during the first trimester of pregnancy. A study compared the effects of drinks with ginger placebo on women who took it duringpregnancy. Ginger eased nausea in a very significant percentage of women. Also, research on taking ginger and protein after chemotherapy showed that patients were able to reduce the intake of medication against nausea. Most clinical research show that taking one gram of ginger one hour before surgery can reduce nausea and vomiting during the first 24 hours after surgery. One study found that ginger reduces nausea and vomiting by 38%.

Colds and flu

It is a known fact that many recommend a cup of tea with ginger to combat viral inflammation such as colds and flu. Now these recommendations are also clinically validated, such as a Chinese study that concluded that ginger may have a healing effect through activation of macrophages, leading to the production of TNF-α. Administration of TNF-α has been identified as an anti-viral cytokine, but recent studies have shown that the cytokine is used as a first line of defense against influenza virus.
There is an even more incredible healing effect of ginger, as proven by studies. Some of them state that it can help with urinary incontinence after a stroke, it can help prevent heart attack, and it significantly reduces memory loss and reduces damage after cerebral ischemia.

Precautions

Ginger is safe for consumption, but if you are taking medications for a condition or disease, it requires extra caution. Be careful if you are taking medication for blood dilution, since ginger may increase bleeding. It can also lower your blood sugar, increasing the chances of hypoglycemia. You should be careful when using medications for blood pressure, because ginger can lower blood pressure. Of course, the assumption is that people will replace the treatment of synthetic drugs with herbal preparations so there should not even be risk, however caution is needed, especially if you are taking any herbs that thin the blood.

Advantages

Several compounds in ginger are linked to its health benefits, including shogaol, zingerone and gingerole. However, as is evident in other plant whose component extracted drugs in an attempt to find an active ingredient and its isolated plant use, it only reduces the effects of the plant itself, and takes a balanced components that can enhance the positive effects and to reduce or eliminate adverse effects. Therefore, it is still recommended to use the plant in its entirety. Some information in this article are derived from studies using isolated individual components, mainly with the aim of developing drugs. It is naive to believe that the nature can be improved and that the isolation of one component can be done without disturbing the balance of elements that mitigate the harmful effects. Nevertheless, the studies help it to prove that there is an extraordinary healing properties of some plants, as in this case - ginger.