NUTRITIONAL FUNCTIONS

Ginger owes its action to its volatile oils and to its phenols, gingerol, zingerone, and shogaol. These constituents give ginger its stimulating and antiemetic properties; they work together to warm the stomach and to reduce intestinal gas and pain.

Ginger root relieves nausea and emesis (vomiting) and may prevent or reduce the symptoms of motion sickness and seasickness. Some studies show that ginger is superior to Dramamine in its antinauseant properties.

While nausea is currently the main indication for use, inhibition of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase inflammatory pathways and related prostaglandin synthetase and platelet aggregation support the use of ginger in colds, sore throats, flus, headaches, and some types of arthritis and muscular pain.

 

GINGER IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR ITS ANTINAUSEA PROPERTIES

"Ginger root against seasickness - A controlled trial on the open sea" is the title of a 1988 study conducted on 80 Danish naval cadets, training in rough, open waters. The Danish naval cadet study concluded that ginger was significantly beneficial in reducing seasickness. Its particular value was for the symptoms of vomiting and cold sweating.

Ginger owes its action to its volatile oils and to its phenols, gingerol, zingerone, and shogaol. These constituents give ginger its stimulating and antiemetic properties; they work together to warm the stomach and to reduce intestinal gas and pain.

Nausea can occur with anything that causes liver irritation, virus, gastrointestinal diseases like ulcers, motion sickness, food poisoning or food allergies, alcohol as well as hundreds of drugs.

Further studies confirm ginger's effectiveness in the treatment of nausea. In 1990, the Department of Anesthesia at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London published a study examining ginger's use as an antiemetic (something used to prevent, ease, or stop vomiting) after gynecologic surgery. Sixty women participated in the research, which concluded that ginger root was effective in reducing post-operative nausea.

In 1993, the Anesthesia Department of another British hospital, Kingston Hospital in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, published study results concluding that "Zingiber officinale is an effective and promising prophylactic antiemetic, which may be especially useful for day case surgery." A 1998 Indian study indicates that ginger may well be useful in improving the nausea and vomiting side effects of chemotherapy.