Ginger - Medicine from the Kitchen

Perhaps not too many people who plant ginger in their farms or gardens are aware that the gnarled, bumpy root is a potent medicine.

Unknowingly, there's more to ginger than just the popular and traditional health drink "salabat."

Ginger has been used medicinally in Asia for millennia. In China, for instance, a drink made with sliced ginger cooked in sweetened water or a cola is used as a folk medicine for common cold.

In India, ginger is applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache.

The ancient Greeks welcomed the arrival of ginger and quickly put it to good use as a digestive aid. To lighten the load of a big meal placed on the digestive system, the Greeks would end an evening of fabulous fasting by eating some ginger wrapped in bread. Eventually, this practice evolved into the world's first cookie -- gingerbread.

In the United States, ginger is "generally recognized safe" by the Food and Drug Administration, though it is not approved for the treatment or cure of any disease and is sold as an unregulated dietary supplement.

Motion sickness can make even the most enthusiastic traveler miserable. A 1982 study revealed that people prone to motion sickness who took ginger lasted 57 percent longer in a computerized rocking chair than people who took over-the-counter remedies.

Another study showed that taking two to four capsules of dried ginger before traveling in a car, boat, plane, or trains prevented motion sickness in 90 percent of the people who participated in the study.

"To combat travel sickness, take a quarter of a teaspoon of powdered ginger or a one centimeter slice of fresh root ginger at least 20 minutes before you get in the car or board a ferry," suggests an article which appeared in Reader's Digest.

The Minnesota-based Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research recommends ginger for nausea and vomiting. It instructs, "To prevent nausea after surgery, ginger has been given as one gram by mouth one hour before surgery.

For chemotherapy-induced nausea, capsules of ginger root powder have been given orally one gram per day for five days, starting on the first day of chemotherapy.

Ginger does not prevent morning sickness but it may help ease some of the nausea experienced by pregnant women, Australian researchers reported in the April 2004 issue of "Obstetrics and Gynecology."

Researchers from the University of South Australia in Adelaide gave nearly 300 women either 350 milligrams of ginger or 25 milligrams of vitamin B6 three times per day for 3 weeks.

The researchers found that both ginger and vitamin B6, which is sometimes taken to counteract morning sickness, worked equally well at alleviating nausea symptoms.

Some sources warn against higher doses in pregnancy due to concerns about mutations or abortion.

"Supervision by a qualified healthcare professional is recommended for pregnant women considering the use of ginger," the Mayo Clinic reiterates.

Danish researchers report that a third of a teaspoon of fresh or powdered ginger, taken at the first sign of migraine, may reduce symptoms by blocking prostaglandins, chemicals that inflame blood vessels in the brain.

The same prostaglandins that contribute to migraine pain also cause joint swelling in people with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.

A study of 56 people found that ginger eased symptoms in 55 percent of people with osteoarthritis and 74 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Mounting evidence suggests that ginger has indeed natural anti-inflammatory properties. "And you don't have to use a lot," says Neal Barnard, M.D. author of "Foods That Fight Pain." "It works like ibuprofen, but without the side effects."

Thing is, you need some ginger every day to feel the results. Slice a half-teaspoon to a teaspoon of fresh ginger and use it to flavor your stir-fry vegetables or sauces, or mix it with some boiling water and let it cool down before drinking.

In recent years, ginger has been investigated as a potential weapon in the battle of the bulge, according to the 'International Journal of Obesity.'

Preliminary test-tube research shows that ginger boosts thermogenesis, or calorie burning. By measuring a complicated series of reactions in the tissue of rats, researchers found that ginger made the tissues use more energy than they would have normally.

Although it is much too early to tell if this will benefit those with heart disease, a few preliminary studies suggest that ginger may lower cholesterol and prevent the blood from clotting. A 1994 study conducted in India revealed that 5 grams of ginger a day significantly inhibits platelets' ability to clump, which in turn reduces the risk of clogged arteries in people with heart disease. Less blood clotting means less risk of a heart attack.

Now, here's a word of warning: Though generally recognized as safe, ginger can cause heartburn, bloating, gas, belching and nausea, particularly if taken in powdered form.

Allergic reactions to ginger generally result in a rash.

Individuals who have had ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease or blocked intestines may react badly to large quantities of fresh ginger.

Ginger should not be used by children under two years of age.

The editors of 'Super Life, Super Health' likewise cautions: "Talk to your doctor before using ginger if you have gallstones, take heart medicine (ginger may intensify the effects of heart drugs, which can be dangerous), and are scheduled for surgery (ginger may interfere with your blood's ability to clot). Ginger may also worsen problems in women who have high estrogen levels."

Curse of the Fat Gene

German-born philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote in his book On Revolution:

“Economic growth may one day turn out to be a curse rather than a good, and under not conditions can it either lead into freedom or constitute a proof of its existence.”

If she were correct — that economy and body processes can have something in common — how far off it may sound. Both, at certain levels, can either be blessings or curses.

Leptin (“thin” in Greek) is a major hormone created by fat cells. It is a biochemical messenger that informs the hypothalamus, the appetite center of the brain, on the degree of hunger inside the body.

As fat deposits increase, more leptin are produced, inducing the hypothalamus to stop hunger and increase energy burning.

However, when health problems occur due to biological factors, genetics and lifestyle, fat deposits increase more than the natural mechanism can take. The hunger suppression mechanism got overridden, more fat got stored and leptin levels increase.

Adipose tissue leptin and circulating leptin levels increase in obesity. The problem is this: Several clinical studies, from 1997 through 2006, showed that leptin induces the formation of toxic oxygen radicals, a cause for cell damage leading to the appearance of invasive cancer.

Leptin can also promote the growth of blood vessels (angiogenesis), which helps spread cancer cells throughout the body.

A recent trial found that leptin can propagate androgen-dependent cancer cells as it inhibits androgen-resistant cancer cells.

Both are in a dose-dependent way. The study involved 10 scientists, and funded by the Louisiana State University Health Science Center (New Orleans, Los Angeles), University of South Alabama Medical Center (Mobile, Alabama), Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center (New Orleans), and The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (Baltimore, Maryland). Invincible
In the 2008 issue of the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, lead researcher Dayanand Deo noted that a concentration of at least 100 nanogram (ng) leptin can stop the spread of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells throughout the body.

Cancer cells from the uterus got stomped at a concentration of 200 ng leptin. Androgen-sensitive invasive cancer cells spread more at a concentration of 50 ng.

Dependent on fat deposits, leptin levels can only be controlled, given genetic and biological factors, through a disciplined dietary program and lifestyle modification. If your weight is considered as “obese,” you need a strong commitment to eat much less, and burn much more energy. Even a moderate intake can be too much.

An old Benjamin Franklin wisdom need not be forgotten here: “Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation” (The Autobiography).