The Anti-Inflammatory Power of Ginger

By: Griffin McKenzie  
Entrepreneur, Health Coach, and Blogger 

@griffinmckenzie
www.griffinmckenzie.com

Ginger – it’s in your smoothies, on the side of your sushi roll, and showing up in more trendy foods than you can count. People consume it in supplements, juice shots, and even grate the ginger root into their dishes. Rather than jump on the bandwagon without any understanding, we’re going to unpack the nutritional benefits of ginger, specifically the anti-inflammatory power it holds. It’s important to know the science behind why a food catches fire in the functional medicine world and how it can be used for your good!

Ginger is a medicinal herb that comes in many different varieties, and it is known for its antioxidant capacity, free radical scavenging, and flavoring abilities (1). Zingerone, one of the most important components of dry ginger root, has unique anti-inflammatory properties. One study, conducted on female rats, showed that Zingerone was beneficial in reducing oxidative stress, sex hormone imbalances, inflammation, and apoptosis (cell death) in ovarian and uterine tissues of the rats involved (2).

Inflammation is a word that gets thrown around quite a lot, but it’s not a condition to be taken lightly. Joint pain, inflamed tissues, and digestive inflammation are all negative effects of a poor diet, oxidative stress, or prescription drugs. Battling inflammation is necessary to restore the body processes and allow the immune system and digestive system to work properly. An inflamed body is one where disease can flourish, so regularly incorporating ginger into your diet is beneficial to aid detoxification and even fight cancer (3).

Ginger is a main ingredient in our new InflaIQ, which can be taken daily to combat aches, pains, and internal inflammation.

 

References:

  1. Yeh, H., Chuang, C., Chen, H., Wan, C., Chen, T., & Lin, L. (2014). Bioactive components analysis of two various gingers (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and antioxidant effect of ginger extracts. LWT – Food Science And Technology, 55329-334. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2013.08.003

  2. Kaygusuzoglu, E., Caglayan, C., Kandemir, F. M., Yıldırım, S., Kucukler, S., Kılınc, M. A., & Saglam, Y. S. (2018). Zingerone ameliorates cisplatin‐induced ovarian and uterine toxicity via suppression of sex hormone imbalances, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in female wistar rats. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 102517-530. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2018.03.119

  3. Liu, C., Kao, C., Tseng, Y., Lo, Y., & Chen, C. (2017). Ginger Phytochemicals Inhibit Cell Growth and Modulate Drug Resistance Factors in Docetaxel Resistant Prostate Cancer Cell. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 22(9), doi:10.3390/molecules22091477