A Peaceful Place

Root of Relief

Dear Reader, You may already know that ginger can treat an upset stomach and calm nausea. But a secret about ginger that is less well known is that in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine this aromatic root has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent for thousands of years.

Now a new study in the journal Osteoarthritis Cartilage confirms what many HSI members have been aware of for sometime: Ginger extract may effectively relieve some types of arthritis pain.

Easy as 1, 2, 3
Researchers at Israel's Tel Aviv University enrolled 29 patients who suffered from osteoarthritis of the knees. The six men and 23 women (aged 42 to 85 years) were divided into two groups. One group received a 250 mg dose of ginger extract four times each day for 12 weeks, while the other group received a placebo.

At the end of this first phase of the study, those subjects who had been receiving ginger extract began receiving placebo, and the former placebo group began receiving the extract. After another 12 weeks, all of the subjects began using the ginger extract for a final phase of 24 weeks.

At the outset of the study, and once each month throughout the study phases, researchers used a visual analog scale (VAS) to measure patients' pain and their response to treatment. Patients rated their pain on a line; one end of the line represented feeling in the best condition, while the other end of the line represented the worst possible pain. Researchers also assessed knee swelling and mobility.
Results for the three phases showed:

* Knee pain was reduced and mobility increased significantly in the group that first used placebo and then switched to ginger extract.

* Placebo group subjects also reported less pain and greater mobility after the first phase, but by the end of the second phase there was a significant difference between overall data collected while subjects were using placebo compared with when they were using ginger extract.

* Subjects who used ginger extract during the second phase continued to improve mobility during the third phase as pain decreased.

* Subjects using placebo during the second phase experienced significant improvements throughout the third phase.

Noting that, overall, the "ginger extract group showed a significant superiority over the placebo group," researchers concluded that 24 weeks of treatment with ginger extract may be optimal for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knees.

Relief in Miami
The Tel Aviv results are impressive, but as I mentioned above, the effectiveness of ginger extract on osteoarthritis is not new to HSI members.

In the e-Alert "Another Option for Treating Arthritis Pain Without Side Effects" (12/28/01), I told you about a University of Miami study that enrolled 247 patients with mild to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. Subjects in this study were randomly assigned to take either a 255 mg ginger extract or a placebo each day for six weeks. As in the Tel Aviv study, pain was measured with VAS, as well as the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index; a questionnaire that assesses stiffness, function and total impact of arthritis pain.

After six weeks of treatment, both groups showed improvement. But in every assessment category, the ginger extract group showed greater results. Sixty-three percent of patients in the ginger group improved their VAS score by 15 or more (on a scale of 100), while half of the control group reported such gains. That may seem like a substantial placebo effect, but subjects in the ginger group showed nearly twice as much improvement in pain after walking 50 feet, and also showed significant gains in the WOMAC index.

The greatest impact was seen in stiffness, where ginger produced nearly a 20-point improvement over baseline measures.

Ginger access
Ginger is generally regarded as safe, but it can cause some minor side effects. In the Miami study, patients in the ginger group reported mostly mild gastrointestinal effects like belching, stomach upset, heartburn, and a bad taste in the mouth.

The ginger therapy used in this study was a patented formula called EV.EXT 77, which is extracted from dried ginger root and the root of dried galanga (a plant similar to ginger, which is also believed to have anti-inflammatory properties). Laboratory tests have shown that one capsule of EV.EXT 77 contains close to one mg of salicylate, the same anti-inflammatory agent found in aspirin. Research has also shown that the extract can inhibit both cyclooxgenase (COX) and lipooxygenase, enzymes that trigger inflammation.

There are two formulations I've found that include EV.EXT 77. Zinaxin delivers the same dose of ginger extract used in the Miami study. And Zincosamine combines 170 mg of the ginger extract with 50 mg of methyl-sulfonyl-methane (MSM) and 350 mg of glucosamine. Both of these products can be found in health food stores and through various Internet sites.

If you suffer with arthritis pain and stiffness and haven't found much relief with painkillers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, consider giving ginger extract a try.

.. and another thing

Weighing the cost/benefit ratio of a drug can be dicey. If a drug saves lives but also happens to be very expensive, you have to allow that perhaps the cost is worth it. When I was preparing the e-Alert "Ball of Confusion"

(3/23/04), I came across a very revealing insight into the cost/benefit ratio of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
Writing in Red Flags Daily, Malcolm Kendrick, M.D., notes that so far no studies have shown that statin use provides very much protection at all against cardiac-related death. For instance, the Heart Protection Study (HPS) was the largest clinical study ever conducted to test statins on subjects at high risk of coronary events. More than 20,000 people were followed for five years. Results showed that statin use reduced the absolute risk of death by 0.5 percent.

But here's the kicker: Studies have shown that that's about the same risk reduction as you would get with daily low-dose aspirin therapy. And of course there are natural alternatives to aspirin - such as bromelain - that have been shown to reduce platelet aggregation safely and effectively.

According to Reuters Health, a typical starting dose of Lipitor runs about $900 per year. So in order to save a single life, patients (and their insurance companies) collectively shell out about $1,800,000 per year. And now researchers have started recommending even more expensive megadoses of statins. If doctors follow this recommendation, the enormous amount of prescription dollars spent on statins - already a burden for many older people - will spike even higher.

Considering that aspirin will apparently save just as many lives, at a fraction of the cost and with no damage to the liver, the cost/benefit ratio of statin drugs continues to not add up.

To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson, Health Sciences Institute, Health Sciences Institute e-Alert, March 31, 2004

Sources:
"The Effects of Zintona EC (a Ginger Extract) on Symptomatic Gonarthritis" Osteoarthritis Cartilage, Vol. 11, No. 11, Novermber 2003, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Alternative Approach: Ginger May Help Reduce Arthritis-Related Knee Pain" Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Chicago Daily Herald, 3/15/04, www.healthy.net

"Effects of a Ginger Extract on Knee Pain in Patients with Osteoarthritis" Arthritis & Rheumatism, Vol. 44, No. 11, November 2001, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Why the Cholesterol-Heart Disease Theory is Wrong" Malcolm Kendrick MbChB, MRCGP, Red Flags Daily, 12/19/02, www.redflagsdaily.com

I go in cycles taking ginger, sometimes adding it (1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground) to my tea or coffee or using the fresh grated or chopped in my cooking or for a cold in hot water with fresh lemon (tea). I found an interesting & informative supplement & herb site & am copying the ginger inf. here. It provides a good example of how material on the site is presented. RM

Ginger Root
Facts

Scientific Name: Zingiberis rhizoma, Zingiber officinale Roscoe

Family: Zingiberaceae

Common Names: African ginger, Canada snakeroot, black ginger, Chochin (Asian) ginger, gan jiang, Jamaican ginger and race ginger.

Perennial plant native to southeast Asia and cultivated in other tropical regions such as Jamaica.

The plant produces spikes of green-purple flowers.

Ginger root consists of peeled, finger long fresh or dried rhizomes of Zingiber officinale Roscoe as well as its preparations in effective dosage. The rhizome contains essential oil and other pungent principles.

The acetone extract is a very active compound, although the major activity may be due to the gingerols and shoagol, which are the 'pungent' principles.

Functions:

The following functions have been tested experimentally:

The dried acetone extract of ginger and its pungent constituent 6-gingerol possess anti-emetic action.^{6 7 8 9 10}

Gingerols may have antiserotoninergic activity and the gastrointestinal motility effect may be due to this action.7 8

Influences the force of muscular contractility in the gastrointestinal tract.

Absorbs neutralizing toxins and acid effectively blocking gastrointestinal reactions and subsequent nausea feedback.

Anti-inflammatory effects may be due to the inhibition of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, resulting in reduced leukotriene and prostaglandin synthesis.11 12 13

Immune system stimulation, platelet aggregation and inhibitory activity.11

Toxicity

Side effects: none known at recommended doses.

Contraindications include:

With gallstones, only to be used after consultation with a physician (wild ginger).

Ginger should not be used for morning sickness during pregnancy or during lactation without the supervision of a physician. 6

Current Research

Motion Sickness: Motion sickness is a frequent problem for individuals traveling by sea, air or space. General treatment is with antihistamines, parasympatholytics and sympathomimetics. Although these treatments are effective, they have many side effects. Ginger root has been shown to decrease motion sickness.

A double-blind crossover placebo trial done on 8 healthy volunteers compared the effects of ginger to placebo for motion sickness. Ginger root was found to reduce vertigo significantly better than placebo. It decreased nausea and there was no vomiting reported. 10

A study looked at ginger root, placebo and dimenhydrinate and its effects on nystagmus (involuntary cyclical movement of the eyeball associated with motion sickness) response. The study found a CNS mechanism for ginger root could be excluded. Researchers concluded that it is more likely ginger root decreases nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness by working on the gastric system. 19

A study done on 80 healthy naval cadets compared the effects of 1 g powdered rhizome of ginger to placebo on seasickness. The study showed ginger root to decrease vomiting and cold sweating significantly better than placebo. 20

Rheumatic Disorders:

Seven patients diagnosed with either rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis deformalis were given 5 g of fresh or 0.5-1 g of powdered ginger daily for 3 months. The patients that were taking NSAIDs had little or no relief, but after taking ginger symptoms decreased.

Migraines: A migraine is considered a neurological disorder, with possibly some vascular involvement. A migraine headache can be accompanied by visual, gastrointestinal and/or premenstrual disturbances.

A case study was done in 1990 on a 42 year old women who had a history of repeated migraines. The subject was given 1.5-2 g of powdered ginger per day at the onset of a migraine headache. The researchers found with increased consumption of ginger, the subject's frequency and severity of attacks decreased markedly.21

Daily dosage:
For motion sickness in adults:
0.5 - 1.0 g, 2-4 times daily
For dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting:
2-4 g rhizome or equivalent preparations
*Upper limit-none known.

Active Ingredients: Rhizome contains from 1 to 4% essential oil and an oleoresin. The composition of the essential oil varies according to geographical origin. The chief components, the shogaols and the gingerols are thought to be responsible for the anti-emetic effects and for the pungent taste.

Uses

Traditionally, it has been used for the following ailments:

Loss of Appetite

Dyspepsia

Prevention of motion sickness

Reduction in nausea and vomiting of pregnancy

Drug-Herb Inteaction

This herb may increase the effects of anticoagulant medications such as warfarin [Coumadin ], and this may cause abnormal bleeding. Ginger flavored drinks are not a problem, but it is a potential concern to ingest candies that contain whole dried ginger.

Excessive ginger may increase the platelet inhibition effects of aspirin [Bayer ]. Ginger should not be taken excessively during this therapy.

Excessive ginger may interfere with antidiabetic medications, such as glipizide [Glucotrol ], due to in vivo effects on blood glucose concentrations. Ginger should not be taken in excessive amounts during the therapy.

Information on the relationship between substances and disease is provided for general information, in order to convey a balanced review of the scientific literature. In many cases the relationship between a substance and a disease is tentative and additional research is needed to confirm such a relationship.

http://www.vitaminherbuniversity.com/topic.asp?categoryid=4&topicid=1058

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