Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger is a wonderful ingredient in cooking and has been used historically in various systems of medicine to treat coughs, colds, sore throats, fever and infectious diseases amongst other ailments[i]. A natural antimicrobial, it is even shown to be effective against drug resistant pathogens[ii].  A key ingredient in our Defence supplement to help support immunity but more than that, it is also multifunctional in that it also works on anti-inflammatory pathways. In vivo studies have shown the extract to significantly downregulate proinflammatory cytokines[iii].  It’s medicinal benefits are attributed to its content of phenolic compounds, specifically gingerols and shogaols, which seem to be the predominant bioactive compounds.  These compounds not only support immune health but have other far reaching health benefits including blood sugar control, weight management and nausea relief[iv].

References:

[i] Nikkhah Bodagh, M., Maleki, I. and Hekmatdoost, A. (2018) ‘Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of Clinical Trials’, Food Science & Nutrition, 7(1), pp. 96–108. doi:10.1002/fsn3.807.

[ii] Karuppiah, P. and Rajaram, S. (2012) ‘Antibacterial effect of allium sativum cloves and zingiber officinale rhizomes against multiple-drug resistant clinical pathogens’, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 2(8), pp. 597–601. doi:10.1016/s2221-1691(12)60104-x.

[iii] Szymczak, J., Grygiel-Górniak, B. and Cielecka-Piontek, J. (2024) ‘Zingiber officinale roscoe: The antiarthritic potential of a popular spice—preclinical and clinical evidence’, Nutrients, 16(5), p. 741. doi:10.3390/nu16050741.

[iv] Unuofin, J.O. et al. (2021) ‘Ginger from farmyard to town: Nutritional and pharmacological applications’, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12. doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.779352.