Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) is nothing new. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for 5,000 years. Ayurvedic means ‘science of life’ in Sanskrit. This ancient system of healing is becoming increasingly popular as we become more aware of the connection between our body and mind.
Ayurvedic medicine first came into the West with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 30 years ago. His name may be familiar to you because he taught the Beatles transcendental meditation. More recently, Ayurveda has been made even more popular by the works of Deepak Chopra.
Ginger has most commonly been used for settling stomachs – but it is becoming increasingly popular as a headache remedy, receiving many positive endorsements from Doctors and Neurologists.
How does it work?
No one is quite sure.
It appears to lessen the frequency and intensity of headache symptoms. It is believed that this is because of the way it prevents inflammation in blood vessels. Preventing inflammation stops them enlarging and pressing on nerves, giving rise to the headache.
It has been known to have a positive effect on nausea (which is a symptom of migraine and headaches) and motion sickness for over twenty years. In 1982, the British medical magazine for Doctors, The Lancet, published a study on Dramamine. This was a popular drug for motion sickness. The study found ginger to be twice as effective.
It is thought that the ginger may be acting on the digestive or central nervous system. It appears to reduce both nausea and vomiting. When taken at the first sign of a migraine, it does give some relief.
Trials for arthritis in Denmark found that over three quarter of people tested, found an improvement in pain and swelling after adding ginger to their diet. Migraine is just one other condition associated with inflammation. An amazing, unexpected side effect was that those tested, didn’t suffer with the colds that they were used to.
It sounds great! Is it safe for everyone to take?
Sadly, no. There are a few groups of people who should avoid it.
People with gallstones shouldn’t take ginger as it increases the release of bile.
Although it is freely for sale for the relief of morning sickness, the safety of it during pregnancy has not been proven.
Use ginger with extreme caution if you are taking a blood-thinner such as Warfarin, Heparin or Aspirin. Ginger has been shown to prevent blood cells clumping together, by a thinning action.
Don’t take it if you have heart problems (or suspected heart problems – or if you are on any heart medication.
Avoid it if you are a diabetic or on medication to control your blood sugar. Some ginger supplements are high in sugar.
Be very careful if you are taking any other supplements which can cause blood thinning – such as garlic. If in doubt, check with your doctor, research thoroughly or avoid.
I’m ok - how do I take it?
Ginger is freely available and comes in many forms. Choose which you prefer. It can be taken in:
Tablet or capsules
Drunk as a tea or tincture
Applied as a paste
Once you have chosen a method, only use that one. If you want to take it in another form, stop the first one before starting the second. Taking it in too many forms makes it hard to monitor how much your intake is and could lead to an overdose.
How do I know if I’ve taken too much?
Symptoms can include:
Feeling sleepy
Feeling confused
Feeling dizzy
Having an irregular heartbeat
Take care to note
Please note that Ginger has not been tested and evaluated by the FDA. Also, there are no regulated standards for the manufacture of Ginger products. There have been rare incidences where contaminated supplements have been sold. To avoid problems, make certain to buy supplements from a reliable source.
More vital infomation about headaches can be found at http://Headache.HealthHows.com, a resource rich site which discusses headache treatments of all types.
