“Nose, nose, nose, nose! And who gave thee that jolly red nose! Sinamont and ginger, nutmegs and cloves, And that gave me my jolly red nose!”
– Ravencroft’s Deuteromela (1609). Francis Beaumont (1584-1616)
Overview
Ginger has been used for thousands of years to help alleviate arthritis, nausea, digestive problems, colds and other viruses, and various heart conditions. Probably native to India, this rhizome, or root, of the Zingiber officinale is closely related to turmeric and cardamom, which also are recognized for their anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.
What are the known benefits?
Many studies document the beneficial effects of ginger’s properties. This overview notes that after consuming 3 g of dry ginger powder in divided dose for 30 days, significant reduction in blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol was observed in diabetic patients. In one study, a glucose-lowering effect was observed 1 hour after administration of ginger extract.
Any other potential benefits?
Ginger is also believed to lower atherosclerosis/bloodpressure/HbA1c whatever else
Any reports debunking these benefits?
The same overview, however, notes that the effects of ginger were not always consistent. In one study, a standardised dry ginger ethanol extract did not show any effect on blood glucose in normal rats at 3 hours postdose [22]. Furthermore, in rats fed with fresh squeezed ginger juice for 6 weeks, neither blood insulin nor cholesterol and triglyceride were affected [14]. And in patients with coronary artery disease taking 4 g of ginger powder for 3 months, neither blood glucose nor lipid was altered [27]. Such discrepancy of results may be attributed to the variation in chemical composition of the administered ginger extracts, depending on the preparation method, product origin, or storage duration [28, 29]. Clearly more clinical studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness and the pattern of effects of ginger in human subjects with diabetes and metabolic disorders.
Warnings
Don’t take ginger if you also take blood thinners, because ginger increases the effects drugs such as coumarin and warfarin.
What is the scientific mechanism at play?
One line of thinking is that ginger inhibits an enzyme called hepatic phosphorylase, which breaks glycogen down into sugar that is then released into the blood stream. Inhibiting hepatic phosphorylase prevents sugar from reaching the blood stream. Another paper studied ginger’s constituents, and (S)-[8]-gingerol was found to be the most potent in terms of glucose uptake. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22828920 The activity of (S)-[8]-gingerol was found to be associated primarily with an increase in cellular surface distribution of GLUT4 protein, which would then lead to better glucose absorption. In type 2 diabetic patients, the capacity of skeletal muscle to uptake glucose is markedly reduced due to impaired insulin signal transduction and inefficiency of the GLUT4.
Conclusion
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References
Put the science links here.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22828920 In this study, phenolic gingerol constituents were studied, and (S)-[8]-gingerol was the most potent in terms of glucose uptake. The activity of (S)-[8]-gingerol was found to be associated primarily with an increase in surface distribution of GLUT4. on the L6 myotube plasma membrane, as detected by expression of hemagglutinin epitope-tagged GLUT4 in L6 muscle cells. The enhancement of glucose uptake in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells by the gingerol pungent principles of the ginger extract supports the potential of ginger and its pungent components for the prevention and management of hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes.
In type 2 diabetic patients, the capacity of skeletal muscle to uptake glucose is markedly reduced due to impaired insulin signal transduction and inefficiency of the GLUT4.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24490949 The effect of ginger consumption on glycemic status, lipid profile and some inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this study, ginger improved several markers associated with diabetes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277626/ The Effects of Ginger on Fasting Blood Sugar, Hemoglobin A1c, Apolipoprotein B, Apolipoprotein A-I and Malondialdehyde in Type 2 Diabetic Patients In this study fbg and a1c along with other markers were improved.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/ According to this article, “The anticancer potential of ginger is well documented and its functional ingredients like gingerols, shogaol, and paradols are the valuable ingredients which can prevent various cancers.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15707757 The lipid lowering and antioxidant potential of ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (family, Zingiberaceae) was evaluated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. Ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale (200 mg/kg) fed orally for 20 days produced, significant antihyperglycaemic effect (P < 0.01) in diabetic rats. Further, the extract treatment also lowered serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and increased the HDL-cholesterol levels when compared with pathogenic diabetic rats (P < 0.01). STZ-treatment also induced a statistically significant increase in liver and pancreas lipid peroxide levels (P < 0.01) as compared to normal healthy control rats. Zingiber officinale extract treatment lowered the liver and pancreas thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values (P < 0.01) as compared to pathogenic diabetic rats. The results of test drug were comparable to gliclazide (25 mg/kg, orally), a standard antihyperglycaemic agent. The results indicate that ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale Roscoe can protect the tissues from lipid peroxidation. The extract also exhibit significant lipid lowering activity in diabetic rats. The present study is the first pilot study to assess the potential of Zingiber officinale in diabetic dyslipidaemia.
Disclaimer
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19413656 Protective Effects of Ethanolic Extract of Zingiber officinale Rhizome on the Development of Metabolic Syndrome in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats
Abstract: Metabolic syndrome, including obesity, dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance that predisposes type 2 diabetes is a major disease problem around the world and a plethora of herbal medicines are claimed to be effective in controlling these disorders. The rhizome of Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae) is commonly used as a spice in various foods and beverages. Apart from its other traditional medical uses, Z. officinale has been used to control diabetes and dyslipidaemia. In the present study, the protective effects of an ethanolic extract of Z. officinale on the development of metabolic syndrome were investigated in a high-fat diet-fed rat model at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. The marked rise in body weights, glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and phospholipids in serum of the rats that followed 6 weeks of high-fat diet treatment were significantly reduced by Z. officinale treatment. However, no significant change in serum HDL cholesterol was observed either with high-fat diet or Z. officinale compared to both control groups. The present results provide scientific evidence to substantiate the traditional use of Z. officinale in preventing metabolic disorders.
The full text is here http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1742-7843.2008.00362.x/full
This, from the The European Journal of Pharmacology
Volume 624, Issues 1–3, 10 December 2009, Pages 58–65 they want money to read this.
The relevance of serotonin and in particular that of 5-HT3 receptors is unequivocal with respect to emetic/antiemetic effects, but it is controversial with respect to antidiabetic effects. The effects of tropisetron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist) and various ginger (Zingiber officinale) extracts (known to interact with the 5-HT3 receptor channel system) were investigated. Serotonin (32 to 500 µM) inhibits insulin release (RIA) from INS-1 cells which is reversed by tropisetron (10 to 100 µM) and two different ginger extracts (spissum and an oily extract). Their effects are obvious even in the absence of serotonin but are more pronounced in its presence (doubled to tripled). Specific 5-HT3 binding sites are present in INS-1 cells using 0.4 nM [3H] GR65630 in displacement experiments. The in vitro data with respect to ginger are corroborated by in vivo data on glucose-loaded rats showing that blood glucose (Glucoquant®) is decreased by ~ 35% and plasma insulin (RIA) is increased by ~ 10%. Both the spissum extract and the oily ginger extract are effective in two other models: they inhibit [14C] guanidinium uptake into N1E-115 cells (model of 5-HT3 effects) and relax rat ileum both directly and as a serotonin antagonistic effect. Other receptors addressed by ginger are 5-HT2 receptors as demonstrated by using methysergide and ketanserin. They weakly antagonize the serotonin effect as well. It may be concluded that serotonin and in particular the 5-HT3 receptor channel system are involved in modulating insulin release and that tropisetron and various ginger extracts can be used to improve a diabetic situation.The relevance of serotonin and in particular that of 5-HT3 receptors is unequivocal with respect to emetic/antiemetic effects, but it is controversial with respect to antidiabetic effects. The effects of tropisetron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist) and various ginger (Zingiber officinale) extracts (known to interact with the 5-HT3 receptor channel system) were investigated. Serotonin (32 to 500 µM) inhibits insulin release (RIA) from INS-1 cells which is reversed by tropisetron (10 to 100 µM) and two different ginger extracts (spissum and an oily extract). Their effects are obvious even in the absence of serotonin but are more pronounced in its presence (doubled to tripled). Specific 5-HT3 binding sites are present in INS-1 cells using 0.4 nM [3H] GR65630 in displacement experiments. The in vitro data with respect to ginger are corroborated by in vivo data on glucose-loaded rats showing that blood glucose (Glucoquant®) is decreased by ~ 35% and plasma insulin (RIA) is increased by ~ 10%. Both the spissum extract and the oily ginger extract are effective in two other models: they inhibit [14C] guanidinium uptake into N1E-115 cells (model of 5-HT3 effects) and relax rat ileum both directly and as a serotonin antagonistic effect. Other receptors addressed by ginger are 5-HT2 receptors as demonstrated by using methysergide and ketanserin. They weakly antagonize the serotonin effect as well. It may be concluded that serotonin and in particular the 5-HT3 receptor channel system are involved in modulating insulin release and that tropisetron and various ginger extracts can be used to improve a diabetic situation.The relevance of serotonin and in particular that of 5-HT3 receptors is unequivocal with respect to emetic/antiemetic effects, but it is controversial with respect to antidiabetic effects. The effects of tropisetron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist) and various ginger (Zingiber officinale) extracts (known to interact with the 5-HT3 receptor channel system) were investigated. Serotonin (32 to 500 µM) inhibits insulin release (RIA) from INS-1 cells which is reversed by tropisetron (10 to 100 µM) and two different ginger extracts (spissum and an oily extract). Their effects are obvious even in the absence of serotonin but are more pronounced in its presence (doubled to tripled). Specific 5-HT3 binding sites are present in INS-1 cells using 0.4 nM [3H] GR65630 in displacement experiments. The in vitro data with respect to ginger are corroborated by in vivo data on glucose-loaded rats showing that blood glucose (Glucoquant®) is decreased by ~ 35% and plasma insulin (RIA) is increased by ~ 10%. Both the spissum extract and the oily ginger extract are effective in two other models: they inhibit [14C] guanidinium uptake into N1E-115 cells (model of 5-HT3 effects) and relax rat ileum both directly and as a serotonin antagonistic effect. Other receptors addressed by ginger are 5-HT2 receptors as demonstrated by using methysergide and ketanserin. They weakly antagonize the serotonin effect as well. It may be concluded that serotonin and in particular the 5-HT3 receptor channel system are involved in modulating insulin release and that tropisetron and various ginger extracts can be used to improve a diabetic situation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3519348/ this is a good overview however it also says: In normal animals, the effects of ginger were not always consistent. It was reported that a glucose-lowering effect was observed 1 hour after administration of ginger extract [13]. However, a standardised dry ginger ethanol extract (containing 1.9 w/w of gingerol) formulated in corn oil EV.EXT 33 (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) did not show any effect on blood glucose in normal rats at 3 hours postdose [22]. Furthermore, in rats fed with fresh squeezed ginger juice for 6 weeks, neither blood insulin nor cholesterol and triglyceride were affected [14].
But the same study says 2.3. Results from Clinical Trials
Limited clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the potential beneficial effects of ginger in patients. After consuming 3 g of dry ginger powder in divided dose for 30 days, significant reduction in blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol was observed in diabetic patients [26]. However, in patients with coronary artery disease taking 4 g of ginger powder for 3 months, neither blood glucose nor lipid was altered [27]. Such discrepancy of results may be attributed to the variation in chemical composition of the administered ginger extracts, depending on the preparation method, product origin, or storage duration [28, 29]. Clearly more clinical studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness and the pattern of effects of ginger in human subjects with diabetes and metabolic disorders.