Ginger is the common name for the rhizomes, or underground stems, of the plant species Zingiber officinale. It has a long history in Asia and the Middle East as both a cooking spice and a medicinal herb. Ginger is sometimes used to treat or prevent gastrointestinal ailments, and appears to achieve its effects by making changes in your gastrointestinal function. Consult your doctor before taking ginger.
Ginger Basics
The main medicinal ingredients in ginger appear to be two chemical groups, shagaols and gingerols, which belong to a larger group of chemicals called phenols, as well as a variety of substances classified as volatile oils. They include zingiberol, curcumene, hydrocarbons and B-bisabolene. You can purchase ginger rhizomes, or ginger roots, in a variety of forms, including capsules, extracts, oils, tinctures and fresh or dried unprocessed plant material. A number of foods and drinks also contain the herb, including ginger ale, ginger snaps and gingerbread.
Gastrointestinal Effects
The shagaols and gingerols in ginger appear to reduce nausea by increasing your normal production of saliva, digestive juices in your stomach and a digestive juice secreted into your small intestine called bile, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In addition, the active ingredients in the herb appear to reduce stomach contractions, improve tone in the muscles that line your intestines and promote peristalsis, which is the organized series of muscle contractions that forces food through your digestive tract.
Gastrointestinal Uses
The U.S. National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus, which summarizes the effectiveness of most common herbs and supplements, rates ginger as a “possibly effective” treatment for gastrointestinal problems. It can prevent or reduce of the nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness, and also can prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting in the aftermath of surgery. MedlinePlus rates ginger as “possibly ineffective” for the treatment or prevention of motion sickness and seasickness. Potential gastrointestinal uses for which there is insufficient evidence to establish an effectiveness rating include treatment for a lack of appetite and treatment or prevention of nausea and vomiting related to the administration of chemotherapy.
Considerations
Ginger use rarely produces significant side effects, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Potential effects of high doses of the herb include mouth irritation, diarrhea and mild heartburn. You may be able to avoid some of these effects if you take ginger in capsule form. Don’t take ginger in combination with blood-thinning medications or with other herbs, such as Panax ginseng or ginkgo biloba, which can increase your bleeding risks. Additional drugs that may cause problems in combination with ginger include calcium channel blockers and diabetes medications. Seek your doctor’s explicit approval before using ginger during pregnancy. You should consult your doctor for more information on ginger’s effects on your gastrointestinal system.
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