Gingembre
Scientific Name: Ginger
Other Names: Black ginger, Canton ginger, Cochin ginger, Common ginger, Garden ginger, Imber, Jamaican ginger, Zingiber officinale
Should I take it?
Thought to have originated in southeastern Asia, ginger has been a part of traditional Chinese and Indian healing for centuries. Historical records show that it was widely used as a food flavoring and preservative in Asian countries as much as 2,500 years ago. It was well-known as both a spice and a medicine in ancient Rome and it was used as medicine in Europe as early as the 1200s.
A tropical plant, ginger grows in most hot, wet areas as a small perennial bush about 4 feet tall. Its long, narrow leaves can grow up to 2 feet in length before they die at the end of the growing season. Most of the ginger used in medicine is cultivated in Jamaica--usually in greenhouses, where plants are not allowed to produce showy flowers. Uncultivated ginger plants typically produce large, fragrant, long-lasting blooms that grow on a thick central stalk and look similar to large pine cones. Wild ginger develops green or purplish flowers; various other ginger species produce yellow, pink, orange, or red flowers that make them popular as ornamental plants.
For medicine, the rhizome is cut from ginger plants that are between 6 months and 20 months old. Rhizomes are fleshy extensions of plant stems that run along or under the ground and often produce shoots and roots for new plants. The knobby ginger rhizomes are light tan to dark brown in color. For cooking, ginger may be used fresh, dried and powdered, or preserved--usually in sweet syrup. It has a spicy taste that has been used for flavoring beverages such as ginger ale, foods such as gingerbread, and medicines such as cough drops. Both fresh and dried ginger are used in herbal medicine. Commercially, ginger is also used as a fragrance in cosmetics, air fresheners, and other aromatic products. In some parts of the world, ginger oil is used to repel insects and to prevent aphid or fungal infestation of gardens.
Dosage and Administration
To lessen the possibility of side effects, no more than 4000 mg (4 grams) of powdered ginger or 10,000 mg (10 grams) of fresh ginger should be taken orally per day.
Ginger for medical use is available in a wide variety of forms that include fresh ginger, dried ginger powder (usually in capsules containing 500 mg or 1000 mg), and liquids such as extracts, tinctures, and syrups. Extracts are concentrated liquid preparations usually made by soaking chopped or mashed plant parts in a liquid such as alcohol, and then straining out the solid parts. Tinctures are less concentrated than extracts, but they are prepared in similar ways. Due to its sharp, tangy taste, ginger may be sweetened to make a syrup that may have a more acceptable flavor.
A recent analysis of 10 herbal ginger products sold in U.S. pharmacies and grocery stores found that the content of active ingredients varied from none to more than was indicated on the label. Although ginger has no set content recommendations, many ginger herbal products are standardized to contain 5% of its most active ingredient, gingerol. Some commercial ginger products are standardized to 20% of pungent compounds, which includes gingerol. Standardization by the manufacturer should assure the same amount of active ingredient in every batch of the commercial preparation. Standardization of herbal products is not required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so not every product sold in the United States will contain the same amounts of active ingredients. Therefore, individuals who choose to use a commercial herbal ginger preparation should look for verification of standardization on the product label.
Ginger tea is available commercially. It can also be made by simmering approximately 500 mg (0.5 gram) of fresh ginger that has been sliced or grated, or approximately 1000 mg (one gram) of dried ginger in about 5 ounces of boiling water. After about 10 minutes, the solid particles should be removed from the tea before drinking it. Ginger tea is often sweetened or flavored with other sweet spices such as cinnamon. Because it has such a strong flavor, ginger may be used to hide bitter-tasting ingredients in herbal combinations.
Although dosing varies, some common recommendations for powdered ginger are:
| Condition | Dose | Frequency |
|---|
| Motion sickness | 1000 mg (one gram) | Once or twice up to 4 hours before travel |
| Nausea after surgery | 1000 mg (one gram) | Once one hour before surgery |
| Nausea from chemotherapy | 2000 mg to 4000 mg (2 grams to 4 grams) | Daily as one dose or divided into two or three doses |
| Nausea of pregnancy | 500 mg to 1500 mg (0.5 gram to 1.5 grams) | Up to four times a day |
Summary
Aside from its value as a spice and flavoring agent, ginger is used in western countries mainly to relieve nausea. It may also have some ability to relieve stomach cramps and other gastrointestinal (GI) complaints.
Risks
Supplemental ginger should be avoided by women who are breastfeeding, individuals who have diabetes or gallstones, and children younger than 2 years of age. Pregnant women should consult a health professional before taking ginger in supplemental amounts.
Side Effects
In humans, the medical use of ginger has been associated with minor side effects such as a tingling feeling in the mouth and diarrhea. In laboratory animals, however, extremely high doses of ginger may have caused heart rhythm changes and central nervous system impairment.
Interactions
Although the amounts of ginger used in foods are not thought to interact with drugs, other herbal products, or foods; very large amounts of ginger could interfere with:
- Anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs and herbals
- Antacids and drugs that reduce stomach acid
- Drugs for heart conditions
- High blood pressure drugs
- Insulin and oral drugs for diabetes
Last Revised April 14, 2008
|
Should I take it? 
