Importance Of Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Principal Proposed Use:
Nausea due to motion sickness, morning sickness, general anesthesia
or chemotherapy

Other Proposed Uses:
Headaches and arthritis, chills associated with viral infections, high
cholesterol

Overview
Ginger is primarily used to treat nausea, but it is also used as an anti-inflammatory, a pain
remedy, a warming remedy and a cholesterol-lowering herb. Randomized controlled trials
support its use in preventing nausea. Case studies suggest usefulness in treating migraines and
inflammatory arthritis, but no randomized trials have been reported. Animal studies suggest
thermogenic effects, but this has not been evaluated in humans. Data are insufficient to
recommend ginger as a cholesterol-lowering supplement. Given its long history of use as a food,
ginger is presumed safe for supplemental use. Because of its effects on platelet aggregation and
thromboxane synthesis in vitro, some herbalists suggest caution for patients taking
anticoagulants or those scheduled for surgery; on the other hand, no clinically significant
anticoagulant effects have been documented. It is on the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)
list, but no studies have specifically evaluated ginger’s safety during pregnancy, lactation or
during childhood. A related species has uterotonic effects in animals, which has led some
herbalists and the German Commission E to recommend that ginger be avoided during
pregnancy.

Historical and Popular Uses
Ginger is used worldwide as a cooking spice, condiment and herbal remedy. The
Chinese have used ginger for at least 2500 years as a digestive aid and antinausea remedy and to
treat bleeding disorders and rheumatism; it was also used to treat baldness, toothache, snakebite,
and respiratory conditions1. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), ginger is considered a
pungent, dry, warming, yang herb to be used for ailments triggered by cold, damp weather.
Ginger is used extensively in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, to block excessive
clotting (i.e. heart disease), reduce cholesterol and fight arthritis. In Malaysia and Indonesia,
ginger soup is given to new mothers for 30 days after their delivery to help warm them and to
help them sweat out impurities. In Arabian medicine, ginger is considered an aphrodisiac2.
Some Africans believe that eating ginger regularly will help repel mosquitos1.

Nowadays, ginger is extensively cultivated from Asia to Africa and the Caribbean and is
used worldwide as a nausea remedy, as an anti-spasmodic and to promote warming in case of
chills3,4. Ginger is also extensively consumed as a flavoring agent; it is estimated that in India,
the average daily consumption is 8 -10 grams of fresh ginger root5. The German Commission E
approves the use of ginger root as a treatment for dyspepsia and prophylactic against motion
sickness6.

Botany
Medicinal species: Zingiber officinale Roscoe
Common names: Ginger, African ginger, Black ginger, Cochin ginger, Gan jiang, Gegibre,
Ingwer, Jamaican ginger, Race ginger7,8
Botanical Family: Zingiberaceae. Ginger is closely related to two other cooking spices, turmeric
and cardamom.
Plant description: Ginger is a 2 - 4 foot tall perennial with grass like leaves up to a foot in
length. It is the underground root or rhizome that is used for culinary and medicinal
purposes.
Where it’s grown: Indigenous to warm tropical climates, ginger is widely grown in Asia, Africa,
India, Jamaica, Mexico, and Hawaii9.

Biochemistry
Ginger: Potentially Active Chemical Constituents
· Phenolic compounds: shogaols and gingerols
· Sesquiterpenes: bisapolene, zingiberene, zingiberol, sesquiphellandrene, curcurmene
· Other: 6-dehydrogingerdione, galanolactone, gingesulfonic acid, zingerone, geraniol, neral,
monoacyldigalactosylglycerols, gingerglycolipids
The active ingredients in ginger are thought to reside in its volatile oils, which comprise
approximately 1-3% of its weight10. The major active ingredients in ginger oil are the
sesquiterpenes: bisapolene, zingiberene, and zingiberol11,12. The concentrations of active
ingredients vary with growing conditions. Ginger’s active ingredients have a variety of
physiologic effects. For example, the gingerols have analgesic, sedative, antipyretic and
antibacterial effects in vitro and in animals13,14.
In rats, an intravenous (i.v.) bolus of gingerol had a half life of 7.23 minutes15; it is not clear
how this relates to pharmacokinetics after oral administration in humans.

Ginger: Potential Clinical Benefits
1. Cardiovascular: Cardiotonic, antilipemic
2. Pulmonary: none
3. Renal and electrolyte balance: none
4 Gastrointestinal/hepatic: Antinausea/antiemetic, carminative and antiulcer
5. Neuropsychiatric: See Immune modulation: anti-inflammatory for headache
6. Endocrine: Hypoglycemic
7. Hematologic: Antiplatelet
8. Rheumatologic: See Immune modulation: Anti-inflammatory for arthritis
9. Reproductive: none
10. Immune modulation: Anti-inflammatory for arthritis and headache
11. Antimicrobial: Antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal
12. Antineoplastic: Antineoplastic
13. Antioxidant: Antioxidant
14. Skin and mucus membranes: none
15. Other/miscellaneous: Warming/diaphoretic

Typical dosages
Provision of dosage information does NOT constitute a recommendation or endorsement, but
rather indicates the range of doses commonly used in herbal practice.
Doses are given for single herb use and must be adjusted when using herbs in combinations.
Doses may also vary according to the type and severity of the condition treated and individual
patient conditions.
Adult doses: There is disagreement on the optimal form and dose of ginger. Reputable
physicians and herbalists recommend a range of doses:
Dried ginger: 250 milligrams four times daily by mouth 10. Some German herbalists
recommend up to four times this amount 6. Chinese herbalists may use up to 10
times this amount.
Tea: 1 tsp of fresh ginger root boiled in 1 –2 cups of water for 10 –20 minutes. Cool for 5
minutes and sweeten as desired. May be mixed with peppermint or chamomile.
Ginger tincture: 1.5 – 3.0 mL per dose 10
Candied ginger: A 1 inch square piece is presumably equivalent to 500 – 1000 of dried
ginger 96,8
Pediatric dosages: Unknown
Availability of standardized preparations: No
Dosages used in herbal combinations: Variable
Proprietary names: Travel Sickness, Travellers, Zintona
Multi-ingredient preparations containing ginger: Adenas, Adrenas, Cura, Digestive Aide,
Donalg, Ginger syrup, Ginkgo plus herbal formula, Herbal Booster, Herbal Cleansee,
Herbal digestive aide, Strong ginger tincture, Unex amarum, Vitaglow Herbal Laxative,
Weak Ginger Tincture

See Also:
Ginger Clinician Information Summary: http://www.mcp.edu/herbal/ginger/ginger.cis.pdf
Ginger Patient Fact Sheet: http://www.mcp.edu/herbal/ginger/ginger.ph.pdf

Write up by; Kathi J. Kemper, MD, MPH