The characteristic odor and flavor of ginger root is caused by a mixture of
zingerone, shogaols and gingerols, volatile oils that compose about one to three percent
of the weight of fresh ginger.
Ginger sectionGinger contains up to three percent of a fragrant essential oil
whose main constituents are sesquiterpenoids, with (-)-zingiberene as the main component.
Smaller amounts of other sesquiterpenoids (ß-sesquiphellandrene, bisabolene and farnesene) and
a small monoterpenoid fraction (ß-phelladrene, cineol, and citral) have also been identified.
The pungent taste of ginger is due to nonvolatile phenylpropanoid-derived compounds,
particularly gingerols and shogaols, which form from gingerols when ginger is dried
or cooked. Zingerone is also produced from gingerols during this process; this compound is
less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma. Ginger has a sialagogue action, stimulating
the production of saliva, which makes swallowing easier.
Medicinal Uses:
The medical form of ginger historically was called "Jamaica ginger"; it was classified
as a stimulant and carminative, and used frequently for dyspepsia and colic. It was
also frequently employed to disguise the taste of medicines. Ginger is on the FDA's
'generally recognized as safe' list, though it does interact with some medications,
including warfarin. Ginger is contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones as the
herb promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder. Ginger may also decrease
joint pain from arthritis, though studies on this have been inconsistent, and may have blood
thinning and cholesterol lowering properties that may make it useful for treating heart disease.
Active Components:
Contains 4 - 7,5% oleoresin with essential oil and sharp substances.
The essential oil (1,5 - 3% of the drug) has a variable composition,
according to its origin. The principal components are sesquitopens such
as a-zingiberen, arcurcumene, $ -bisabolen, $ -bisabolone, (EE)-a-pharnesene
and $ -sesquiphelandren, and monotherpenes like camphor, $ -phelendren,
geranial, neral and linalol. The sharp substances are gingerols and sogaols.
They are non volatile phenilalcanones or phenilalcanonoles with chains
of a different length, being the most important ones the (6)-gingerol
and the (6) sogaol. The rhizome of ginger contains also diarylheptanoids:
diphenylheptenones, diphenylheptanonoles, diphenylheptanodioles and their
acetates. Other components are: starch (approximately 50%), ditherpenes,
6-gingesulphonic acid and monoacyl digalactosyl glycerols.
Pharmacological Action:
1) Motion Sickness: Mechanism of Action. Clinical studies have shown
that the herbal in DizzyStop® is believed to act through a hormonal mechanism
reducing the abnormal stimulation to the brain that causes the symptoms of motion sickness.
2) Antinausea activity: attributed mainly to a local effect of
the gingerols and sogaols on the gastrointestinal tract.
Clinical studies have shown that the oral administration of the powder
of ginger roots (940 mg) was more effective than the dimenhydrinate (100
mg) for the prevention of gastrointestinal symptoms of the kinetosis
(locomotional dizziness). The results of this study suggest that it does
not act on the central nervous system but has a direct effect on the
gastrointestinal tract, by means of its aromatic, carmine and absorbent
properties, increasing the gastric mobility and absorbing toxins and
acids.
In double blind clinical chance studies, the benefits of the powder
of ginger roots as a prophylactic treatment of travel sickness have been
proved. The results of a study show that the oral administration was
statistically superior to placebo, reducing vomiting and cold sweating
4 hours after its consumption. Another study compared the effects of
seven antiemetic drugs on the prevention of travel sickness in 1.489
persons. This study concluded that ginger was as effective as the other
antiemetic drugs under evaluation.
At least four clinical studies have shown the benefits of ginger roots
as a prophylactic treatment of nauseas and vomiting. The studies focused
on the gastrointestinal action of ginger, compared with those focused
on its effect on the central nervous system have given better replies
related to locomotional dizziness.
In a double blind chance study there have been shown
in a statistically significant form, less cases of nausea and vomiting
after an operation in 60 patients who received ginger, compared with
placebo. The effects of ginger on post-operation nauseas and vomiting
have been reported as good as or even better than the ones of the metochlopramida.
3) Digestive activity: Stimulates the gastric, saliva and bile secretion
and of pancreatic lipases. Anti-ulcerous activity through inhibition
of the reduction of the layer thickness of the gastrointestinal epithelium.
The intraduodenal administration of ginger extracts to rats increased
the bile secretion during 3 hours. This activity is caused by the (6)-
and (10)-gingerols contained in the essential oil of ginger.
The oral administration of ginger extracts (75 mg/kg), (6)-shogaol (2.5
mg/kg) or (6)-, (8)- or (10)-gingerols, improved the intestinal mobility
in mice, activity comparable with or slightly inferior to the one of
metochlopramida (10 mg/kg) and domperidona.
4) Anti-inflammatory activity: The gingerols are powerful inhibitors
of the metabolism of arachidonic acid by way of cycloxigenase as well
as lipoxigenase. One of the mechanisms of inflammation is the increase
of the oxygenation of arachidonic acid which is metabolized through the
cycloxigenase and the 5-lipoxigenase, producing prostaglandin E2 and
leukotriene B 4, two potent mediators of inflammation. Studies in vitro
have shown that ginger extracts inhibit the activities of both enzymes
in the arachidonic acid, and therefore its anti-inflammatory effects
may be due to the reduction of the formation of prostaglandins and leukotrienes.
Ginger is also a powerful inhibitor of the thromboxane synthetase and
increases the levels of prostacyclines without increasing the prostaglandins
E2 or F2a. Studies in vivo have shown that the oral administration of
ginger extracts decreases the edema in the pats of rats. The potency
of the extracts was comparable with the acetylsalicylic acid. (6)-shogaol
inhibited the edema in the pats of rats induced by carragenine inhibiting
the activity of the cyclooxigenase.
A study in China reported that 113 patients with rheumatic pain and
chronic lumbalgia, who were injected with an extract of 5 - 10% of ginger
into the hurting sites, experienced a total or partial relieve of pain,
decrease of articular inflammation and an improvement or recovery of
the articular function. The oral administration of ginger powder to patients
with rheumatism and other musculoskeletal alterations has shown a relieve
of pain and inflammation.
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Grape Seed Extract
Grape seed extracts are industrial derivatives
from whole grape seeds. Typically, the commercial opportunity
of extracting grape seed constituents has been for chemicals
known as polyphenols, including oligomeric proanthocyanidins
recognized as antioxidants. - WikiPedia
Check out the references below for more
information on Ginger and Grape Seed Extract!
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References
1: 1992
Dizziness in Office Practice
Stuart Barton MD "Dizziness in Office Practice", October 1992
Vestibular
labyrinths [the inner ear balance canals] produce a balance of meaningful impulses for the
maintenance of equilibrium. The individual sense organs of the inner ear are interdependent
and a disturbance in the harmonious relationship can cause vertigo. These sense organs
have cells that generate electrical impulses through the balance nerve to the balance
portion of the brain. Interaction with the electrical impulses from the feet and from
the eyes at the level of the cerebellum [brain balance center]. Allow for smooth
coordination of movement and balance. Anything that interferes with information arriving
at the Cerebellum such as a pinched nerve in the back or neck, inflammation of the inner ear,
or vision disturbance will lead to imbalance.
2: British Journal of Anaesthesia 84 (3): 367-71 (2000)
Efficacy of ginger for nausua and vomiting:
a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.
E. Ernst and M.H. Pittler. Department
of Complementary Medicine, School of Postgraduate Medicine and Health
Sciences, University of Exeter, 25
Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2- 4NT, UK
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is often advocated
as beneficial for nausea and vomiting. Whether the herb is truly effacious
for this condition
is, however, still a matter of debate. We have performed a systematic
review of the evidence from randomized controlled trials for or against
the efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting. Six studies met all
inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Three on postoperative nausea and
vomiting were identified and two of these sugested that ginger was superior
to placebo and equally effective as metoclopramide. The pooled absolute
risk reduction for the incidence of postoperative nausea, however, indicated
a non-signifcant difference between the ginger and placebo groups for
ginger 1 g taken before operation (absolute risk reduction 0.052 (95%
confidence interval -0.082 to 0.186)). One study found for each of the
following conditions: seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy-induced
nausea. These studies collectively favoured ginger
over placebo.
3: ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 1986; 48(5): 282-6.
Vertigo-reducing effect of ginger root. A controlled clinical study.
Grontved A., Hentzer E.
The effect of powdered ginger root (Zingiber officinale)
upon vertigo and nystagmus following caloric stimulation of the vestibular system was
studied in 8 healthy volunteers in a double-blind crossover placebo trial. The results
reported are based upon 48 vertigo scores and 48 electronystagmograms. Ginger
root reduced the induced vertigo significantly better than did placebo. There was no statistically significant
action upon the duration or the maximum slow phase velocity of nystagmus.
4: Acta Otolaryngol. 1988 Jan-Feb; 105(1-2): 45-9.
Ginger root against seasickness. A controlled trial on the open sea.
Grontved A. Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Svendborg Hospital , Denmark .
In a double-blind randomized placebo trial, the effect of the
powdered rhizome of ginger (Zingiber officinale) was tested on seasickness. Eighty naval cadets,
unaccustomed to sailing in heavy seas reported during voyages on the high seas, symptoms of
seasickness every hour for 4 consecutive hours after ingestion of 1 g of the drug or placebo.
Ginger root reduced the tendency to vomiting and cold sweating
significantly better than placebo did (p less than 0.05). With regard to vomiting, a modified Protection Index (PI) = 72% was
calculated. Remarkably fewer symptoms of nausea and vertigo were reported after ginger root ingestion,
but the difference was not statistically significant. For all symptom categories, PI = 38% was calculated.
5: Acta Otolaryngol. 1989 Sep-Oct; 108(3-4): 168-74.
The anti-motion sickness mechanism of ginger. A comparative study with placebo and dimenhydrinate.
Holtmann S, Clarke AH, Scherer H. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Grosshadern Medical Center,
Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat Munchen, Germany.
A controlled, double-blind study was carried out to
determine whether nystagmus response to optokinetic or vestibular stimuli might be altered
by some agent contained in powdered ginger root (Zingiber officinale). For comparative purposes,
the test subjects were examined after medication with ginger root, placebo and with dimenhydrinate.
Eye movements were recorded using standard ENG equipment and evaluation was performed by automatic
nystagmus analysis. It could be demonstrated that the effect of ginger root did not differ from that
found at baseline, or with placebo, i.e. it had no influence on the experimentally induced nystagmus.
Dimenhydrinate, on the other hand, was found to cause a reduction in the nystagmus response to caloric,
rotatory and optokinetic stimuli. From the present study it can be concluded that neither the vestibular
nor the oculomotor system, both of which are of decisive importance in the occurrence of motion sickness,
are influenced by ginger. A CNS mechanism, which is characteristic of the conventional anti-motion
sickness drugs, can thus be excluded as regards ginger root. It is more likely that any reduction
of motion-sickness symptoms derives from the influence of the ginger root agents on the gastric system.
6: Anaesthesia. 1990 Aug; 45(8): 669-71.
Ginger root--a new antiemetic. The effect of ginger root on
postoperative nausea and vomiting after major gynaecological surgery.
Bone ME, Wilkinson DJ, Young JR, McNeil J, Charlton S.
Department of Anaesthesia, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.
The effectiveness of ginger
(Zingiber officinale) as an
antiemetic agent was compared with placebo and metoclopramide in 60 women who had major
gynaecological surgery in a double-blind, randomised study. There were statistically
significantly fewer recorded incidences of nausea in the group that received ginger root
compared with placebo (p less than 0.05). The number of incidences of nausea in the groups
that received either ginger root or metoclopramide were similar. The administration of antiemetic
after operation was significantly greater in the placebo group compared to the other two
groups (p less than 0.05).
7: Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1999 Jul; 37(7): 341-6
Effects of ginger on gastroduodenal motility.
Micklefield GH, Redeker Y, Meister V. Department of Internal Medicine,
Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Klinikum, Wuppertal, Germany.
The effect
of a ginger rhizome extract (2 x 100 mg) was studied on fasting and postprandial gastroduodenal
motility with stationary manometry in 12 healthy volunteers. The results showed that: the
interdigestive antral motility was significantly increased by ginger during phase III of the
migrating motor complex; the volunteers also had a significantly increased motor response to
a test meal in the corpus; a trend to an increased motor response during ginger treatment was
seen in all other regions of interest. Oral ginger improves gastroduodenal motility in the
fasting state and after a standard test meal.
7: Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2000 Jan; 8(1): 9-12.
A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of ginger
extracts and ibuprofen in osteoarthritis.
Bliddal H, Rosetzsky A, Schlichting P. Parker Institute, Department
of Rheumatology, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen F, DK, Denmark.
OBJECTIVE:
Alternative medicine is used extensively by patients with chronic pain due to e.g.,
osteoarthritis. Only few of these drugs have be tested in a controlled setting and the
present study was undertaken to examine the effect of ginger extract, one of the most
popular herbal medications. DESIGN: Ginger extract was compared to placebo and Ibuprofen
in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee in a controlled, double blind, double
dummy, cross-over study with a wash-out period of one week followed by three treatment periods
in a randomized sequence, each of three weeks duration. Acetaminophen was used as rescue
medication throughout the study. The study was conducted in accordance with Good Clinical
Practice (European Guideline for GCP). RESULTS: A ranking of efficacy of the three treatment
periods: Ibuprofen>ginger extract>placebo was found for visual analogue scale of pain
(Friedman test: 24.65, P< 0.00001) and the Lequesne-index (Friedman test: 20.76, P< 0.00005).
In the cross-over study, no significant difference between placebo and ginger extract could
be demonstrated (Siegel-Castellan test), while explorative tests of differences in the first
treatment period showed a better effect of both Ibuprofen and ginger extract than placebo
(Chi-square, P< 0.05). There were no serious adverse events reported during the periods
with active medications. CONCLUSION: In the present study a statistically significant
effect of ginger extract could only be demonstrated by explorative statistical methods
in the first period of treatment before cross-over, while a significant difference was
not observed in the study as a whole.
UMM.edu
"The medicinal and nutritional value of grapes
(Vitis vinifera) has been heralded for thousands of years. Egyptians
consumed this fruit at least 6,000 years ago, and several ancient
Greek philosophers praised the
healing power of grapes -- usually in the form of wine.
European folk healers developed an ointment from the sap of grapevines
to cure skin and eye diseases. Grape leaves were used to stop bleeding,
inflammation,
and pain, such as the kind brought on by hemorrhoids.
Unripe grapes were used to treat sore throats and dried grapes (raisins)
were used to heal consumption, constipation, and thirst. The round,
ripe, sweet
grapes, were used to treat a range of health problems
including cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, eye infections, and skin,
kidney, and liver diseases."
...Read More!!!
-UMM.EDU
Webraydian.com
"This article
discusses about the uses and benefits of grape seed extract. The
article explains how grape seed extract benefits us
in treating cardiovascular diseases, allergies, cataracts, and
providing skin care."
...Read More!!!
-Webraydian.com
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