Five amazing health benefits of ginger

by Dr.Sofiya 

(NaturalNews) Ginger is an herb that is often used to season foods. It is popularly used in Asian cooking, as well as in stir fries. The root of the ginger plant is firm, pungent and spicy. The color of ginger root can vary from yellow or white to red. The time it is harvested determines whether it has a thick or thin skin.

In addition to being prized for the unique and desirable flavor it adds to foods, ginger has been used for thousands of years as a health remedy for various aliments. For more than 2,000 years, the Chinese have been using this popular root plant as a cure for upset stomach and nausea as well as to aid in digestion and diarrhea. Here are five amazing ways that ginger can help improve a person's health.

1. Combat complications from diabetes

Ginger might help protect the nerves of a person who suffers from diabetes as well as lower their fat levels. Another important way ginger could help diabetics is by significantly reducing the levels of serum glucose, as well as proteinuria, thirst and enuresis. This was the result according to researchers who tested rats that were chemically induced with diabetes. The rats that showed these improvements were given 500 mg of raw ginger. In addition, Laurie Steelsmith, a licensed doctor of naturopathy, notes that ginger can help thin the blood, lower blood pressure, increase circulation and lower cholesterol.

2. Ease pain and inflammation

Ginger has been shown to ease muscle pain, as well as back pain. In addition, it has been shown to reduce inflammation. Women have been able to find relief from menstrual pain. Relief from the pain of migraines has also been experienced.

3. Helps relieve nausea and motion sickness

Using ginger to help relieve the symptoms of nausea has been popular for thousands of years. These properties in ginger are the reason why modern-day people drink ginger ale when they are feeling nauseous. Ginger also helps relieve both sea sickness and motion sickness. A study in which pregnant women were given either a ginger drink or a placebo found that many of those women who were given the ginger drink experienced relief from their symptoms.

4. Relieves cold and flu symptoms

Many people who practice Chinese medicine prescribe ginger to their patients who suffer from colds or the flu. It acts as a antihistamine as well as a decongestant.

5. Helps relieve arthritis symptoms

The results of a study published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage showed that patients who suffer with painful arthritis in their knees had much less pain and loss of movement when they took ginger than those patients who were given a placebo.

In addition to being added to foods, ginger tea or ginger capsules can be consumed to take advantage of the benefits of this plant.

Sources:

http://www.whfoods.com

http://www.lifehack.org

http://www.mnn.com

www.inkling.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

5 proven ways to prevent and treat arthritis

by Derek Henry 

(NaturalNews) Millions of people suffer from some form of arthritis. Since arthritis is commonly believed to be incurable, the standard medical response has been to simply prescribe medications to reduce the symptoms. This does nothing to heal the actual root of the issue, and only covers up the problem while potentially making other bodily functions worse.

However, the good news is that substantial evidence now shows that the pain and disability caused by arthritis can be alleviated, and even prevented through diet and alternative therapies.

Diet and nutrition

Dietary practices have a major impact on arthritis. In fact, if you eat the typical American diet, it is likely making your arthritis worse. Among the worst offenders for creating arthritic symptoms include:

- Hydrogenated and trans fats
- White flour and sugar
- Gluten
- Chemical additives
- Yeast
- Milk and dairy products
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Phosphoric acid (large amounts found in soda)

A diet rich in fresh and organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains (gluten-free) is recommended, as they are richer in nutrients needed to fight destructive free radicals, promote skin and tissue health, repair bones, muscles and tendons, and promote bowel regularity. Try alkaline foods like green leafy vegetables, wheatgrass, aloe vera and cherry juice.

Herbal medicine

In addition to the foundational approach of diet and nutrition, herbs can also play a significant part in reducing inflammation often associated with arthritis. Some of the most recommended herbs for arthritis include:

- Turmeric
- Yucca
- Devil's claw
- Willow bark
- Green tea
- Boswellia
- Ginger
- Ginseng
- Reishi
- Skullcap
- Valerian
- Feverfew
- Stinging nettle

High-quality sources of these herbs taken on a daily basis with a proper diet can provide significant relief of arthritic symptoms.

Massage

Massage is one of the most important therapies for the treatment of arthritis. People with arthritis often experience prolonged muscle tension with poor blood circulation in muscle tissues, which can cause nerve and joint pain.

Massage helps break up muscular waste deposits that can cause pain as well as stimulate circulation in troubled regions in the body, which helps bring more oxygen and other necessary healing nutrients into the tissues and carry toxins away.

Arthritis sufferers should pursue a massage program of 2-3 times a week in the early stages, then once a week for several months, with a maintenance schedule of twice a month.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic is becoming a popular, drug free treatment for arthritis that has been proven to be highly effective. Certain cases of arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, are often false diagnoses with the symptoms actually caused by misalignment, or subluxation, of vertebrae and joints.

When this is the case, chiropractic adjustments can restore a full range of movement and free the body from pain. Manipulation can help arthritis by restoring proper movement and positioning of the joints. Balanced movement prevents "wear and tear" damage to joints, ligaments, and cartilage.

Acupuncture

According to Dr. William M. Cargile, past Chairman of Research of the American Association of Oriental Medicine, rheumatoid arthritis is a result of an autoimmune problem that prevents white blood cells from recognizing the joint surface as part of itself. He goes on to say that it reduces the aggressiveness of the body against its own tissues and enhances its recognition of the joint tissue. Also, by keeping the all the meridians balanced it keeps energy flowing smoothly and immunity strong, which is a major factor in managing rheumatoid arthritis effectively.

Other natural remedies to prevent and treat arthritis include bromelain, MSM, glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, colloidal silver, arnica, pure water, and astaxanthin.

Learn more about treating arthritis from the first two sources below.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.healingthebody.ca

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

Trivieri, Larry. Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide. Ed. John W. Anderson. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 2002.

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

Turmeric Extract Puts Drugs For Knee Osteoarthritis To Shame

Written By: 

Sayer Ji, Founder

Millions take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) daily for arthritis and related inflammatory conditions, but are completely unaware that far safer, and at least as effective, natural alternatives already exist -- and are as easily accessible and inexpensive as the spices found in your kitchen cupboard.
Human research on the health benefits of turmeric is sparse, mainly due to the lack of capital available to fund expensive clinical trials.[i] Despite many decades of investigation as a lead drug compound, and the availability of thousands of preclinical studies indicating turmeric's therapeutic value, few yet realize that this common kitchen spice may provide a suitable drug alternative for common health conditions.
The latest human study to clinically confirm turmeric's medicinal value was published in the Indonesian Journal of Internal Medicine in April, 2012 and found the curcuminoid extract of turmeric was able to reduce inflammation in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
Researchers compared the effect of a curcuminoid extract to the NSAID drug diclofenac sodium in reducing cycloxygenase -2  (COX-2) secretion by synovial fluid's monocytes in two, randomly divided, groups suffering with knee osteoarthritis.
The synovial fluid is an egg yolk-like liquid within the cavities of the synovial joints, which serves to reduce friction between articular cartilage during movement.  In knee osteoarthritis, a condition that afflicts 1 in 2 people by the age of 85 years, the immune cells known as monocytes express increased inflammatory COX-2 enzyme activity within the synovial fluid.
In the study, subjects were given either 30 mg 3 times daily of turmeric extract (curcuminoid) or 25 mg 3 times daily of diclofenac sodium for 4 weeks. After the treatment period, aspiration of the joint as performed and the secretion of cycloxygenase-2 enzyme by synovial fluid's monocytes was evaluated.
Results were reported as follows:

In curcuminoid group the average scores were 1.84±0.37 and 1.15±0.28 respectively (p<0.001). In diclofenac group the average scores were 1.79±0.38 and 1.12±0.27 respectively (p<0.001). In curcuminoid group the decreasing score of cycloxygenase-2 secretion was 0.70±0.51 while in diclofenac group was 0.67±0.45. There was no significant difference in decreasing the score of cycloxygenase enzyme secretion between both treatment groups (p=0.89).

In summary, both curcuminoid and diclofenac sodium were capable of significantly decreasing the secretion of the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme, with nearly identical potency.

Discussion

This is not the first human study to confirm turmeric is at least as effective as an NSAID drug in reducing the symptoms associated with knee osteoarthritis. A 2010 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found 2,000 mg of turmeric extract was as effective as 800 mg of ibuprofen in reducing symptoms of pain and inflammation.[ii]
What is most remarkable about the more recent study is not that turmeric curcuminoids have potent anti-inflammatory properties – there are already hundreds of studies confirming its COX-2 reducingand otherwise anti-inflammary effects -- but rather how much safer they are relative to NSAID drugs like diclofenac, which like most pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory drugs have been linked to adverse health effects such as increased cardiac mortality, miscarriage and seizure.
One way to assess the relative toxicity of these two compounds is to compare the primary polyphenol in turmeric, curcumin, with diclofenac sodium through their respective Material Safety Data Sheets, which contain detailed information on the toxicity of these substances.

Diclofenac Sodium: The LD50 for mice is 95 mg/kg, meaning that it only takes 95 mg/kg of mouse to acutely kill 50% of an exposed group.  

Curcumin: The LD50 for mice is >2,000 mg/kg, meaning that it would take more than2,000  mg/kg of mouse to acutely kill 50% of an exposed group.  

In order to get perspective on how toxic an LD50 of 95 mg/kg is, let's first calculate how much of this chemical it would take in milligrams to kill an average sized mouse. Mice are between 15-27 grams, depending on their age, strain and diet. If we take the average between the two, at 21 grams, our mouse would weigh 0.021 kilograms. This means that it only takes 1.9 milligrams to acutely kill 50% of the mice given such a dose.
Extrapolating to humans, an average 150 lb adult weighs 68.03 kilograms, it would only take 6462 milligrams, or 6.46 grams to kill 50% of the humans given the dose. This is less than the weight of three pennies (7.5 grams).  Compare this to the LD50 of curcumin (2,000 mg/kg), where it would take more than 136,000 mgs (4.86 ounces) to kill 50% of the humans given it – and even this estimation is doubtful, since it is likely that it would simply be vomited up, or expelled through the gastrointestinal tract, and other organs of elimination, before reaching lethal levels in the body.  Also, remember that it only took 90 mg a day in the aforementioned study to reduce inflammation as effectively as diclofenac sodium.  The difference between the 90 mg required to produce an effective response, and a (theoretical) 136,000 mg threshold for lethal toxicity, is four orders of magnitude.
In practical terms, the chance of you hurting yourself with a drug like diclofenac sodium -- ironically, in an attempt to reduce pain -- as compared to a simple kitchen spice like turmeric, is infinitely higher. Consider too, that there are over 100 known adverse health effects associated with this chemical class of drugs, whereas turmeric (and curcumin) has been linked to over 600 beneficial ones -- not exactly a hard choice to make, when it comes to risk-benefit analysis.
For additional research on natural alternatives to common NSAID drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen, read the following articles:
Is There A Natural Alternative To Aspirin?
Ibuprofen Kills More Than Pain, So What Is The Alternative?

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Resources

• [i] GreenMedInfo.com, Why The Law Forbids The Medicinal Use of Natural Substances Feb. 26^th, 2012

• [ii] Vilai Kuptniratsaikul, Sunee Thanakhumtorn, Pornsiri Chinswangwatanakul, Luksamee Wattanamongkonsil, Visanu Thamlikitkul. Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Int J Mol Med. 2010 May;25(5):729-34. PMID: 19678780