Therapeutic Uses
- Motion Sickness and Morning Sickness – Ginger prevents and treats the nausea associated with seasickness and other types of motion sickness, as well as the morning sickness of pregnancy. In addition, many cancer specialists recommend it for the nausea associated with chemotherapy.
- Digestive Problems – Ginger is a gastrointestinal antispasmodic. It prevents indigestion and abdominal cramping by soothing the muscles that line the intestines. It also contains some compounds similar to digestive enzymes that break down proteins.
- Heart Disease and Stroke – Ginger may help prevent heart disease and stroke by controlling three key risk factors. The herb helps reduce cholesterol levels. It also helps lower blood pressure, and it prevents the blood clots that trigger heart attacks and most strokes.
- Ulcers – In animal studies, pre-treatment with a ginger preparation acted as a preventive. A small study in which people with ulcers took 6 grams of ginger a day, showed that the herb can help relieve ulcer symptoms.
- Arthritis – Studies have identified anti-inflammatory substances in ginger, lending support to the herb’s traditional use in treating arthritis.
- Women’s Health Concerns – Antispasmodic ginger soothes the smooth muscle of the uterus. As such, ginger may help ease menstrual cramps.
- Colds and Flu – Ginger helps kill influenza virus. The herb also increases the immune system’s ability to fight infection. These findings lend support to ginger’s traditional role in treating colds, flu, and other infectious illnesses.
Medicinal Uses: *Anorexia *Baldness *Bleeding *Bronchitis *Burns *Chest, low back, and stomach pain *Cholera *Colic *Cough *Diabetes *Diarrhea *Diuretic *Gas *Increase sweating *Inflamed testicles *Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) *Loss of appetite *Malaria *Menstrual pain *Migraine headache *Morning sickness *Motion sickness *Nausea *Osteoarthritis *Pain *Poisonous snake bites *Prevent insect bites *Respiratory problems *Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) *Stimulate breast milk *Toothaches *Upper respiratory tract infections *Upset stomach
Ginger Root Side Effects: When used in moderation during pregnancy, ginger will likely pose no risk to the health of the mother or the developing baby. However, do not use ginger without checking with your obstetrician first. Ginger should not be taken if you have gallstones or are at risk of hemorrhage. Too much ginger can cause skin irritation, central nervous system depression, and cardiac arrhythmias. Discuss the use of ginger with your physician before taking the herb to control nausea after surgery.
Ginger Root Drug Interactions: Ginger can increase the potency of prescription medications used to prevent blood clots, such as aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), ticlopidine (Ticlid), or warfarin (Coumadin). Combining ginger with these medications could result in unexpected bleeding. Ginger can prolong the sleeping time induced by barbiturates. If you are taking any kind of medication to induce sleep, you should use ginger with caution. The daily consumption of ginger root may interfere with the absorption of dietary iron and fat-soluble vitamins.
