As 2020 begins to wrap up, I will share more information on herbs frequently used as foods.  This will be a transition into 2021, when we will focus more on foods and nutrition basics.  This week, we will play with a warm, dry, stimulating herb you may have in your kitchen right now: ginger. 

Ginger, Zingiber officinalis, is a plant that grows best in warmer climates.  This perennial plant grows through underground stems known as rhizomes, which is the part of the plant we eat.  When we look at the name, we see that officinalis is the second name again, signifying that this herb has been used as medicine for quite a long time.  Evidence of its use goes back at least 5000 years, and we see evidence of it making its way to Rome from India around 2,000 years ago.  This spice was highly prized, and “in the 13th and 14th centuries, a pound of ginger had the same value as an entire sheep.” (1)

Today, ginger is so common and abundant that you can easily purchase several pounds of fresh ginger at your local grocery store without breaking the bank. 

Ginger’s Energetics: 

If you take a nibble of fresh ginger, you will quickly notice how warming this herb is.  The dry powder is even warmer and considered a hot herb, meaning if applied to undiluted tissues, it can cause burns and even blisters.  This doesn’t mean we cannot use the powder, but we must respect and use it with caution and a hefty dose of common sense. 

Not only is ginger warming, but it is also quite drying.  This can be fantastic in cold, boggy tissues such as chronically swollen and arthritic joints but not so great in already hot and dry tissues.  

The other energetic effect of ginger is its stimulating effect.  This isn’t the same kind of stimulation as caffeine, but one that moves energy and fluids through the body.  Ginger is often added to herbal formulations to increase circulation and warm someone up, getting the rest of the medicine where it needs to go.

Ginger’s Effects: 

Ginger is a good medicine with many effects; we will cover some here, but know that this is not an exhaustive list. Ginger has been used in many different herbal traditions across the globe, including in Africa, India, and China.  I’m writing from a Western Eurocentric point of view, which is never the whole story.

A few of Ginger’s effects are (2): 

• Carminative - decreases digestive gas

• Anti-inflammatory

• Analgesic - pain reduction, especially topically

• Antiatherosclerotic - helps keep your arteries and veins clear

• Antioxidant

• Diaphoretic - helps you sweat

• Immunomodulation - helps balance your immune system, helping it work better

• Vascular tonic

• Hypotensive - lowers blood pressure

• Decreases platelet aggregation - blood thinner

• Rubefacient - topical pain relief

• Emmenagogue - helps stimulate menstruation

• Kidney tonic

• Anti Nausea

• Antibacterial

• Antifungal

• Antiviral

• Antiparasitic

As you can see, ginger does a lot of things.  Now, let’s look deeper at a few of these effects and see how they can be used medicinally. 

Ginger as an Anti-inflammatory: 

Ginger reduces inflammation in a few different ways.  One of them is as a selective COX-2 inhibitor similar to the prescription anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex, which is often prescribed for chronic inflammatory conditions such as Osteo or Rheumatoid arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, painful menstruation, and pain conditions of the digestive system.  The lovely thing about a selective COX-2 inhibitor is that it will not cause the digestive irritation that a non-selective COX inhibitor like Ibuprofen can. 

Ginger works with the COX pathway and decreases other inflammatory chemicals such as lipoxygenases and inflammatory prostaglandins, making it a more “broad spectrum” anti-inflammatory.  One constituent found highest in ground ginger called shagaol increases absorption of medications such as Ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric, helping you get a more significant effect with a smaller dose!  Do be sure to talk with your doctor and a provider who understands herb-drug interactions before consuming large quantities of ginger if you are already taking pharmaceutical medications. 

Ginger also reduces general oxidative stress (anti-oxidant), which decreases tissue damage and inflammation generally, which can be especially useful in conditions such as diabetes and cases of high cholesterol levels.  Ginger helps prevent the injury of too high blood sugar by slowing the production of advanced glycation end products (a holy grail in chronic disease and longevity medicine).  Ginger helps prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques by decreasing peroxidation of LDL, the first step in forming these dangerous plaques that increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke.  Ginger can even be taken with statin drugs, further reducing the risk of heart attack. 

Ginger as an Analgesic: 

Ginger reduces pain in two primary ways.  First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory when taken orally and is as effective as Tylenol in treating osteoarthritis pain. 

Second, it acts as a counter-irritant similar to capsaicin but with a gentler initial effect.  Over time, daily topical use of ginger has been shown to reduce substance P in local tissues, reducing pain.  This is especially effective and important in cases of diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, where the substance P is made in high amounts and constantly sends pain signals to the brain.  This type of pain doesn’t respond well to more traditional pain medications, making it very difficult to treat.  I love that an herb more often thought of for treating nausea can be so compelling, so abundant, and so affordable and do such a great job of treating life-altering pain! (3)

Ginger also shines as a pain reliever in cases of chronic arthritis.  When my joints ache, they are boggy, cold, and purple/blue - ginger is the perfect remedy for this situation!  However, if you have an acute, hot, throbbing, dry, painful area - skip the ginger and look for something more cooling and soothing, like marshmallow root or peppermint.

Ginger for Nausea: 

The best-known use for ginger in the West is to counter nausea.  Ginger candies, pickled ginger, and ginger tea are often used to help settle an upset stomach.  This works exceptionally well in cases of cold, slow, gassy indigestion, motion sickness, nausea from chemotherapy, and morning sickness in pregnancy.  Many studies have shown ginger to be safe and effective in these cases. 

Do be cautious in early pregnancy, especially when there has been a history of miscarriage.  In high quantities, ginger can help bring on a sluggish period, and there is concern that this may cause issues early in some pregnancies. 

Ginger and Infections: 

In addition to being an immunomodulator, it helps our immune systems work better, increasing circulation, warming someone enough to mount a fever, and thinning mucus. Hence, mucus runs out of the body more effectively, and as a surprisingly effective cough suppressant, ginger also shows direct antimicrobial effects against many different pathogens.  Ginger is effective against some viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites!  We eat ginger with sushi because the constituents in ginger stun and kill Anisakis worms!

Ginger has also been found to have antimicrobial effects against the fungi Candida and Aspergillus.  Ginger has been shown in medical research to be antiviral against H. influenzae and traditionally has been used for colds/flu, hepatitis, herpes, enterovirus, and other viruses. (4)

As an antibiotic, ginger has been effective in research in killing E. coli, Listeria, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphy, and several bacteria responsible for dental issues.

As with all herbs, the sooner you start using ginger and the more you take it, the better it will work.  Starting herbs with the first sign of symptoms yields the best results, and then must be taken every 2-3 hours to keep their active constituents in your bloodstream for them to be most effective.
Ginger can be used topically in minor skin infections that have not begun to spread. Be cautious and avoid using powdered ginger without cutting it with flour to prevent burning your healthy skin. 

Ginger Juice Tea

Different herbalists have different preferred ways of working with each herb.  Stephen Buhner, author of Herbal Antivirals and Herbal Antibiotics, amongst many other works, advises people to work with the fresh juice of ginger.  If you have a juicer, this can be a very effective therapy in the early stages of an upper respiratory infection.

Simply juice as much ginger as you can get your hands on and combine ¼ cup of this juice with 1 ½ cups hot water, a squeeze of lemon or lime, a spoonful of honey, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Drink 4-6 cups of this daily until symptoms resolve. 

If you do not own a juicer, you can try my preferred ginger, lemon, and honey tea that I will set up on my stove and let simmer all day.  Here, grate as much ginger root as possible and slice an organic lemon.  Throw these into a soup pot and add water until it’s at least halfway full.  Let simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, then begin drinking.  I set a spoon and saucer next to my stove and grab a small wire mesh strainer.  I then scoop hot ginger/lemon tea into my cup, add some honey, and sip slowly but continuously throughout the day, refilling my mug as needed.  This, along with elderberry syrup, has nipped quite a few bugs right in their tracks for me. 

I hope this has given you a more thorough understanding and respect for this unassuming little root.  Perhaps on your next trip to the grocery store, you will come home with a knuckle or a whole hand of ginger.  My next experiment will be to pickle ginger to enjoy with many meals. 

To our health! 

References

1. De La Foret, R, Alchemy of Herbs: Transform everyday ingredients into foods & remedies that heal, Hay House, 2017

2. Tilgner, S, Herbal ABC’s: The foundation of herbal medicine, Wise Acres, LLC, 2018

3. Facebook Live Lecture: Ginger with Julie James, 11/25/2019 https://www.facebook.com/248789909820/videos/1422631747889573

4. Buhner, S, Herbal Antivirals: Natural remedies for emerging & resistant viral infections, Storey Publishing, 2013