Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of ginger for the treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. METHODS: Women with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, who first attended an antenatal clinic at or before 17 weeks' gestation, were invited to participate in the study. During a 5-month period, 70 eligible women gave consent and were randomized in a double-masked design to receive either oral ginger 1 g per day or an identical placebo for 4 days. Subjects graded the severity of their nausea using visual analog scales and recorded the number of vomiting episodes in the previous 24 hours before treatment, and again during 4 consecutive days while taking treatment. At a follow-up visit 7 days later, five-item Likert scales were used to assess the severity of their symptoms. RESULTS: All participants except three in the placebo group remained in the study. The visual analog scores of posttherapy minus baseline nausea decreased significantly in the ginger group (2.1 +/- 1.9) compared with the placebo group (0.9 +/- 2.2, P =.014). The number of vomiting episodes also decreased significantly in the ginger group (1.4 +/- 1.3) compared with the placebo group (0.3 +/- 1.1, P <.001). Likert scales showed that 28 of 32 in the ginger group had improvement in nausea symptoms compared with 10 of 35 in the placebo group (P <.001). No adverse effect of ginger on pregnancy outcome was detected. CONCLUSION: Ginger is effective for relieving the severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

Ginger extract consumption reduces plasma cholesterol, inhibits LDL oxidation and attenuates development of atherosclerosis in atherosclerotic, apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Oxidative modification of LDL is thought to play a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Consumption of nutrients rich in phenolic antioxidants has been shown to be associated with attenuation of development of atherosclerosis. This study was undertaken to investigate the ex vivo effect of standardized ginger extract on the development of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (E(0)) mice, in relation to plasma cholesterol levels and the resistance of their LDL to oxidation and aggregation. E(0) mice (n = 60; 6-wk-old) were divided into three groups of 20 and fed for 10 wk via their drinking water with the following: group i) placebo (control group), 1.1% alcohol and water (11 mL of alcohol in 1 L of water); group ii) 25 microg of ginger extract/d in 1.1% alcohol and water and group iii) 250 microg of ginger extract/day in 1.1% alcohol and water. Aortic atherosclerotic lesion areas were reduced 44% (P<0.01) in mice that consumed 250 microg of ginger extract/day. Consumption of 250 microg of ginger extract/day resulted in reductions (P<0.01) in plasma triglycerides and cholesterol (by 27 and 29%, respectively), in VLDL (by 36 and 53%, respectively) and in LDL (by 58 and 33%, respectively). These results were associated with a 76% reduction in cellular cholesterol biosynthesis rate in peritoneal macrophages derived from the E(0) mice that consumed the high dose of ginger extract for 10 wk (P<0.01). Furthermore, peritoneal macrophages harvested from E(0) mice after consumption of 25 or 250 microg of ginger extract/day had a lower (P<0.01) capacity to oxidize LDL (by 45 and by 60%, respectively), and to take up and degrade oxidized LDL (by 43 and 47%, respectively). Consumption of 250 microg of ginger extract/day also reduced (P<0.01) the basal level of LDL-associated lipid peroxides by 62%. In parallel, a 33% inhibition (P<0.01) in LDL aggregation (induced by vortexing) was obtained in mice fed ginger extract. We conclude that dietary consumption of ginger extract by E(0) mice significantly attenuates the development of atherosclerotic lesions. This antiatherogenic effect is associated with a significant reduction in plasma and LDL cholesterol levels and a significant reduction in the LDL basal oxidative state, as well as their susceptibility to oxidation and aggregation.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of ginger extracts and ibuprofen in osteoarthritis.

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.