Is Ginger a “Miracle” Drug?
Long before drug companies existed, traditional healers discovered the benefits of various natural foods in the treatment of disease. One such food is ginger, used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. But how does something as simple as ginger, shape up against the best drugs modern medicine can produce? Pretty bloody well it seems.
In the treatment of migraines, a 1/8 of a teaspoon of ginger worked just as well, and just as fast, as the leading migraine medication (Imatrix-Sumatriptan), with significantly fewer side effects (and substantially lower cost). Don’t suffer from migraines? Multiple studies have shown ginger is effective in treating such diverse conditions as irritable bowel syndrome (a 53% improvement), osteoarthritis (without the 50% risk of small intestine injury), heavy and painful periods (1/3-1 tsp) and morning sickness (1/2 a tsp produced a 5X improvement). In patients undergoing chemotherapy it has been described as a “miracle” in treating nausea and vomiting, and can be used successfully in the treatment of other nausea (like motion sickness and nausea following surgery).
Are you thinking none of this applies to you because you’re a big boofy healthy bloke who goes to the gym and doesn’t get period pain? Well, 1 tsp of ginger a day has been shown to reduce muscle pain from training, meaning you gym junkies and fitness types can go at it harder and for longer.
What’s This Got to Do with Teeth?
Migraine sufferers often also suffer from facial pain (in the jaw joints and muscles) caused by clenching and grinding. Ginger is proven to help both joint and muscle pain, so it stands to reason that facial pain patients could also be helped by taking ginger (but it hasn’t been proven yet, that’s just me connecting the dots). Clenching and grinding can be a warning sign of sleep apnoea, however, a potentially fatal condition. So if you do clench or grind make sure you discuss it with your dentist.
(Dr T is dentist Brett Taylor. After being told he was probably going to die a lot sooner than he expected (or wanted) he suddenly became focused on health. Go figure)
Dr T Simple Health Checklist
- Eat 4 Brazil Nuts once a month to reduce cholesterol
- Eat 4 tablespoons of flax meal (30g) a day to reduce blood pressure
- Take ½-1 teaspoon of ginger per day