How Ginger Can Help Treat Autoimmune Diseases: Findings from a Groundbreaking Study

2023-09-25 16:04:00

By Sophie Brünke | September 25, 2023, 6:04 p.m

In many households, ginger is used for colds and gastrointestinal complaints. According to a recently published study, the tuber from the Far East can also be used for autoimmune diseases. FITBOOK nutrition expert Sophie Brünke explains the study.

Lupus, arthritis, rheumatism – in these and other autoimmune diseases, the body’s immune system is directed against healthy cells and thus triggers inflammatory processes in the body, which can potentially lead to organ damage. Researchers in the US state of Colorado investigated whether ginger in the form of dietary supplements could be effective in treating autoimmune diseases.

So love the Study ab

The study focused on a specific immune response; the formation of “neutrophil extracellular traps” (NETs for short) and their effects on inflammatory processes.1 This was about the effect of ginger supplements on so-called neutrophils.

What are neutrophils?

Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells and are part of the immune system. If a pathogen penetrates the human organism, they are the first cells that try to render the pathogen harmless.

The mechanism behind this is the training of NETs. Neutrophils eject these web-like structures upon contact with pathogens. The neutrophils themselves die in this attack. This particular cell death will NETos called.

When neutrophils are overactive, they promote inflammation and blood clots.

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Researchers examined mouse models and healthy adult subjects

In autoimmune diseases, neutrophils can be overactive and thus lead to increased NETosis. The study examined both mice with autoimmune disease and healthy adults.

Nine test subjects took part who took a ginger preparation containing 20 milligrams of gingerol for a week. Gingerol is responsible for the characteristic spicy taste of ginger. Participants had blood drawn three times: before starting supplementation, on the last day of supplementation, and finally one week after stopping supplementation.

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Evidence of anti-inflammatory effects of ginger

Healthy subjects had modified NETosis

The study showed that consuming ginger in healthy individuals made neutrophils more resistant to NETosis, thereby alleviating inflammatory processes that lead to autoimmune diseases.

Examinations of the blood samples showed that the volunteers showed a significant increase in the chemical cAMP in the neutrophils as a result of the supplementation. The increased cAMP levels inhibited the extent of NETosis in response to pathogenic stimuli. The blood samples taken one week after the end of the intervention showed reduced cAMP levels again as at the start of the study.

To validate the results, the study model was repeated with eight new test subjects. Increased cAMP levels also occurred in this trial.

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Success in diseased mice

In mice, taking a ginger extract also reduced NETosis. Mice with the autoimmune diseases lupus and APS (antiphospholipid syndrome) were tested. This was accompanied by a decrease in the thrombosis typical of APS and reduced autoantibody formation in lupus.

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Will ginger be used medicinally in the future?

Lead co-author Kristen Demoruelle announced in a press release: “There are many diseases in which neutrophils are unusually overactive. We found that ginger can help curb NETosis, and this is important because it is a natural supplement that may be helpful in treating inflammation and symptoms in people with various autoimmune diseases.”2

People with inflammatory diseases often take dietary supplements such as ginger independently and in a poorly targeted manner, without knowing the exact effects. The authors of the study believe that education about the benefits of ginger and the mechanisms behind it can encourage health care providers to incorporate and promote ginger supplements into treatment plans on an individual basis.