Ginger - the delicious wonder spice

Ginger (Zingiber officinale?Roscoe), a well-known herbaceous plant, has been widely used as a common household spice and herbal medicine for centuries. Ginger rhizome is also a typical traditional remedy to relieve common health problems, including pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Key Benefits

• Provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
• Helps reduce nausea and vomiting, especially during pregnancy
• Helps reduce indigestion
• Supports immunity
• May help support blood lipid and glucose metabolism.

History of Usage

Ginger has been used for thousands of years by the peoples of Southeast Asia, India and China as a spice and medicine. In the Middle Ages, it was used to ward off the plague. Later it was sprinkled in beer, and placed on the back of horses because it was believed that it would boost their energy.?Today, ginger is used throughout the world as one of the most cherished culinary and medicinal spices.

Biochemistry

Although gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger, and is responsible for most of ginger’s medicinal properties, more than 100 compounds have reportedly been isolated from ginger. The main classes of ginger compounds are gingerol, shogaols, zingiberene, and zingerone, as well as other less common compounds, including terpenes, vitamins, and minerals. It is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and selenium.?

Ginger has antifungal, antiplatelet, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative properties. These potential pharmacological and physiological activities have led to a significant increase in the number of investigations on the health benefits of ginger. Thanks to modern research, there is a large body of evidence of ginger’s efficacy on human health.

Recent Trends

The global ginger market is expected to reach $8.46 billion by the end of 2027 from $6.82 billion in 2020, growing with a CAGR of 3.13% from 2021 to 2027.

Ginger is found in powdered, dried, fresh, preserved, pickled, and crystallized products. It is used in comfort food and bites, culinary, bread shop items, sauces and soups, mixed refreshments, non-mixed drinks, candy, and chocolate.

In nutritional supplements, it is offered as powders, capsules, tablets, gummies, tinctures, and in beverages.

Precautions

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a healthcare professional before use.
• Individuals who have a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, diabetes, or heart condition should consult a healthcare professional before taking ginger.
• Side effects may include heartburn, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, heavier menstrual periods, skin irritation if applied topically.
• An allergic reaction can include hives; difficulty breathing; and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Avoid using ginger with other health supplements or drugs that lower blood sugar, or thin the blood.
• Individuals who have a scheduled surgery should stop taking ginger at least 2 weeks before.?

References

1. Anh NH, Kim SJ, Long NP, et al. Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials.?Nutrients. 2020;12(1):157. Published 2020 Jan 6. doi:10.3390/nu12010157
2. Li H., Liu Y., Luo D., Ma Y., Zhang J., Li M., Yao L., Shi X., Liu X., Yang K. Ginger for health care: An overview of systematic reviews.?Complement. Ther. Med.?2019;45:114–123.
3. Ali B.H., Blunden G., Tanira M.O., Nemmar A. Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): A review of recent research.?Food Chem. Toxicol.?2008;46:409–420.
4. Mahomoodally M.F., Aumeeruddy M.Z., Rengasamy K.R.R., Roshan S., Hammad S., Pandohee J., Hu X., Zengin G. Ginger and its active compounds in cancer therapy: From folk uses to nano-therapeutic applications.?Semin. Cancer Biol.?2019 doi: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.08.009.
5. Giacosa A, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Riva A, Bianchi Porro G, Rondanelli M. Can nausea and vomiting be treated with ginger extract? Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015 Apr;19(7):1291-6. PMID: 25912592.
6. Zhu J., Chen H., Song Z., Wang X., Sun Z. Effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) on type 2 diabetes mellitus and components of the metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.?Evid.-Based Complement. Altern. Med.?2018;2018:5692962.?
7. Tanabe M., Chen Y.-D., Saito K.-I., Kano Y. Cholesterol Biosynthesis Inhibitory Component from Zingiber officinale Roscoe.?Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin.?1993;41(4):710–713.

Huang FY, Deng T, Meng LX, Ma XL. Dietary ginger as a traditional therapy for blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.?Medicine?(Baltimore). 2019 Mar;98(13):e15054.