Ginger – excellent to warm yourself up and to battle a cold

Aromatic, spicy and sharp – this is how ginger can be described shortly. It adds a lot of flavour and aroma to Asian, as well as fruit and vegetable dishes. In natural medicine, this spice has become famous for its properties to eliminate bloating and gas, as well as bringing comfort and relaxation of the digestive system muscles. Today’s research does not only confirm these properties, but also emphasise its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role.

Ginger contains an active substance called gingerol. It is this compound that causes that so many people that regularly use this spice feel a decrease in pain and increases mobility in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Research shows that as many as 75% of RA patients and 100% of patients with muscular problems feel a reduction in swelling and pain. Ginger is also effective in knee pain that is related to age. The results of the study lasting 12 months are clear. Even after 6 months of seasoning dishes with ginger, the knee pain decreased from 76.14 to 41.00 points, while the level of disability has changed from 73.47 points to 46.08 points. For comparison, the placebo group experienced the increased symptoms respectively to 82.10 and 80.80 points. All these health benefits are only as a result of gingerol.

The researchers did not only study the progress of diseases, but also directly checked the molecular effect of gingerol. In vitro research has demonstrated that this active phenolic compound significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide, a highly reactive compound, which in a short time forms peroxynitrite, which in turn damages the articular cells.

Further research has led to further understanding of the mechanism of functioning of ginger. It has been proven that gingerol neutralises the effect of substances that cause inflammation of the joints (cytokines and chemokines), inhibits the production of fibroblast synoviocytes (cells damaging synovium) and chondrocytes (cells damaging cartilage ).