Ginger

Zingiber officinale Roscoe; occasionally Z. capitatum and Z. zerumbet Smith: Zingiberaceae.

The common name is ginger.  The Chinese name is chiang, sheng-jiang (fresh root), gan-jiang (dried root)

Zingiber has been under cultivation for so long that its beginnings have been lost in the annals of time.  The Chinese have used it at least since 2000 BC, and probably that long in India also.  Usage reached the West about 2000 years ago.  Dioscorides of Rome wrote of it, and by the thirteenth-century in England it was the most popular spice with a pound valued at the price of a sheep.  The Eclectic physicians used it as a carminative, diaphoretic, appetite stimulant and local counter-irritant.

Zinger is a perennial, growing 1 to 41/2 feet in height with grass-like leaves..  It has green-purple flowers on terminal spikes, which are rarely seen in cultivated plants.  It is native to Southern Asia but is cultivated for export in nearly every tropical and subtropical country in the world.

The rhizome, commonly called a root, is the part used.  Zingiber is sold as a common household spice, fresh, powdered and crystallized as candy.  It is available medicinally as a bulk herb, tea, capsule and hydrochloric extract.  There are extracts that are standardized for gingerol and shogaol. Traditional Chinese medicine differentiates between the fresh and the dried.  The fresh is used for vomiting and expelling toxins: the dry for pain of the stomach and abdomen, diarrhea, cough and rheumatism.

Zingiber is a complex herb composed of many chemical constituents that change upon the drying of the rhizome.  The active principals are called “pungent principles” which consists of a group of phenolic compounds known as gingerols and shogaols.  Shogaols being formed as the Zingiber ages, while the gingerols degrade..

The gingerols and the shogaols have been shown to possess cardiotonic action, having strong positive inotropic effect on animal hearts.^[i]  This appears to be the result of acceleration of calcium uptake by the heart muscle.^[ii]   It also has the ability to lower platelet aggregation and has antithrombotic properties.  This could be due to the inhibition of the production of inflammatory mediators in the prostaglandin and eicosanoid biosynthetic pathways.^[iii]

It has been shown effective in motion sickness and other forms of nausea, including pregnancy.  These actions appear to be due to effects on the gastrointestinal tract rather than the central nervous system.  This suggests Zingiber should be taken ahead of time (one half hour to four hours) for motion sickness. It also has the ability to improve gastric motility while exerting antispasmodic effects.^[iv]  Fresh ginger contains zingibain, which is protein digesting enzyme, making it a rich source of digestive enzymes.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are improved with Zingiber, showing improvement in pain, joint mobility and decrease swelling and morning stiffness. ^[v]   It has been shown to be an inhibitor of prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis, giving it anti-inflammatory properties.  In animals it has been shown to have analgesic properties, probably due to the inhibition of substance P, similar to capsaicin from capsicum.^[vi]

Zingiber has been shown to have strong antioxidant activity.  It also significantly inhibits the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.^[vii]

The “pungent principle,” considered to be the most chemically active constituents are known collectively as gingerols and consist of  shogaols, gingerdiols, zingerone and gingerdiones.  When the rhizome is dried the gingerols degrade and the shogaols are formed.  Zingiber contains an essential oil and a resin, they are collectively known as an oleoresin.  The essential oil (1% to 3%) has as its principle components the sesquiterpenes: bisabolene, zingiberene and zingiberol. Other compounds isolated from Zingiber are starch, protein, lipids composed of triglycerides, phosphatidic acid, lecithins, a protease and vitamins.

The dosage for fresh ginger is 1 teaspoon grated, up to 10 gr..  The dosage for the dried root is  2,000 mg., up to 2 gr.  The dosage for liquid extract is 2 ml.and for standardized extracts is 100 to 200 ml.

Do not use if you have gallstones because it has cholagogue effects.  In pregnancy it should not be taken in large amounts.^[viii]   High doses (6g) may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and exfoliation of gastric surface epithelial cells.  Zingiber used topically may cause contact dermatitis in sensitive patients.   Zingiber should be used cautiously with patients receiving anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, the daily dose should be limited to one gr.