Ginger is tasty in cookies and other recipes, it is an excellent herb for digestion and can quell nausea and vomitting. It has been used for a number of health benefits over the centuries. Today I want to focus on the use of ginger for reducing inflammation.
How Does it Work?
According to PubMed ginger “shares pharmacological properties with Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs” (NSAIDS). Ginger inhibits prostaglandins that promote inflammation. Ginger also suppresses pro-inflammatory compounds. Reducing inflammation reduces pain.
Arthritis and Ginger
Gingers anti-inflammatory benefits include Rheumatoid Arthritis. In a study in 2012 it was found that ginger supplements worked as well as steroids for reducing inflammation in synovial cells. Arthritis today even suggests ginger capsules as a treatment for inflammation.
Studies have proven that ginger has been effective in treating inflammation in both Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis.
Inflammation
Inflammation is the bodies way of trying to heal itself. It is a valuable part of our immunity in its acute phase. However, chronic inflammation is what causes many diseases like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, crohn’s disease, TB and cardiovascular disease.
Pain
In addition to reducing the pain of inflamed joints, ginger can reduce other pain. According to the Mercola site, studies are showing that ginger can “reduce the severity of migraine headaches as well as the migraine medication Sumatriptan”.
Ginger is beneficial in treating muscle pain from exercise. It has been shown to work just as well as Ibuprofen, aspirin and other over the counter painkillers. The reason for this is the anti-inflammatory effect of ginger.
Cautions
One of the side effects on WebMD is that ginger may lower your blood sugar. Although this sounds more like a benefit than anything else, it is important to consult with your doctor when trying an herbal supplement while on pharmaceuticals.
Another serious caution for the use of ginger is that it interacts with blood thinners by making them more effective. This can mean that your blood pressure can drop too low. Please work with your doctor to determine whether ginger can be an effective herb for you.
All in all ginger is anti-inflammatory, kills pain and reduces nausea and cramps. It tastes good too!
THIS BLOG IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE THE ADVICE OF YOUR DOCTOR.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16117603
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/30/ginger-health-benefits.aspx
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