The study of the pharmacological actions of ginger and compounds isolated therefrom found it a safe herbal medicine with only a few side effects. The action of the ginger compounds was immune-modulatory, anti-tumorigenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-lipidemic, and anti-emetic. They state that further studies are required to understand the effect of consumption over long periods of time.
Altman et al. (2011) conducted trials with highly purified ginger extract on patients with osteoarthritis pain caused by standing for extended periods of time. The relief observed was moderate, with mild gastrointestinal side effects.
Another randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted to study the impact of ginger extracts and ibuprofen in patients suffering from the pain of osteoarthritis. It was observed that there was not much variation between the control and active groups during the first three months of the study. However, at the end of six months, the active group showed significantly superior results over the placebo group (Bliddal et al., 2000)., These studies appear to validate the beneficial impact of ginger on osteoarthritis patients, as mentioned in ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic herbal medicine practices. Ginger and turmeric are used as herbal remedies for osteoarthritis. (Wigler et al., 2003)
Caution:
Ginger oil’s medicinal properties are like that of the ginger rhizome. However, ginger and its oil may increase the risk in people susceptible to bleeding disorders. This could be due to the anti-coagulant property of the spice (Srivastava et al., 1984).
Additional reading:
- Asian Herbs and their wondrous health-giving properties
- Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient Plants