2023-09-25 14:36:04
Ginger has been used medicinally for thousands of years, but research on its anti-inflammatory effects in humans has been scant. However, a small study found that ginger has the ability to help manage some autoimmune diseases due to its ability to stop the activity of white blood cells that cause inflammation.
Although ginger has long been used as a home remedy for a variety of ailments, there hasn’t been a lot of research in people with autoimmune diseases to explain why ginger root has anti-inflammatory effects, says Dr. Christine Demoruel, one of the senior authors. The study is an associate professor of rheumatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.
“Sometimes, nutritional supplements are viewed as having fewer potential health benefits because studies detailing how they work aren’t done rigorously on people,” Demoruel explains. What is new in our study is that we show a specific pathway through which ginger exerts an anti-inflammatory effect, especially in people; “This strongly supports the use of ginger supplements in people to reduce inflammation,” according to what was published by the specialized medical website “everydayhealth.”
How did researchers evaluate ginger’s anti-inflammatory effects?
In the study, published last Friday in the journal JCI Insight, researchers conducted a series of laboratory tests to evaluate the effect of ginger supplements on the immune system, specifically looking at the activity of white blood cells known as neutrophils. When neutrophils function normally, they help the body fight infections, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But when neutrophils become overactive, they can cause inflammation, which is the root cause of many autoimmune diseases.
The scientists first gave 6-gingerol supplements (the antioxidant chemical in ginger) to mice that were suffering from one of two autoimmune diseases: antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) or lupus. The mice had less evidence of neutrophil hyperactivity in laboratory tests following they received ginger supplements.
Next, the researchers asked nine healthy human volunteers to take 20 milligrams of ginger supplements daily for one week. Laboratory tests showed that the nutritional supplements helped the volunteers’ immune systems become more able to resist cellular processes that lead to neutrophil overactivity.
In mice and humans, ginger supplements appeared to prevent a process known as neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, which causes white blood cells to become hyperactive.
Many autoimmune diseases, including APS and lupus, develop when overactive white blood cells in the immune system attack healthy cells; Who thinks they are foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses.
“Excessive formation of the neural network is implicated in inflammation associated with a range of diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, antiphospholipid syndrome, lupus, and even Covid-19,” Demoruel explains. “As such, our findings can begin to focus on people who may benefit from ginger’s anti-inflammatory effects.”
Don’t take too many ginger supplements
So far the study has been too small and too preliminary to draw general conclusions regarding whether prescribing ginger supplements to treat autoimmune diseases would be safe or effective. It’s also not a given that ginger supplements will be beneficial for all types of autoimmune diseases, says Lawrence Tao, MD, clinical professor and director of the Center for East-West Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the new study. Pointing out, “Not all infections are the same. “Ginger may not be helpful, or may worsen other forms of inflammation, including psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and dermatitis.” Tao added, “With ginger supplements, you should be careful of the increased risk of bleeding in addition to potential interactions with medications, including blood thinners.”
He advises anyone who wants to try ginger supplements to manage their medical problems to consult their doctor first, stressing, “Consuming more ginger in foods is worth trying.” “But the safest way to use ginger if you have an autoimmune disease is to add it to your diet and see if it helps with the inflammation.”
For her part, Dr. Samantha Heller, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, who was not involved in the study, says, “There is probably no harm in cooking with ginger; Ginger has been used medicinally and in cooking for thousands of years. It is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-nausea properties. “Adding ginger, whether fresh, preserved, crystallized, pickled, dried or ground, to dishes may provide some healing.”
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