Are ginger shots good for inflammation?
Dr Mark Porter on whether ginger shots are good for inflammation or just an expensive wellness fad.
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Dr Mark Porter on whether ginger shots are good for inflammation or just an expensive wellness fad.
Q: Is ginger juice good for you? I have osteoarthritis, which mainly affects my knees and hands, and my daughter has suggested daily ginger shots to ease the inflammation.
She swears by them for her back problems. Placebo or real?
Ginger shots (liquidised ginger juice) are all the rage at the moment, and you may have noticed the ginger root stocks many supermarkets now have to meet demand. You can buy the shots ready-made, but they are expensive.
There has been a lot of research into ginger and health, but most of the studies are of poor quality, and use different doses and forms of ginger, so it’s hard to draw firm conclusions. If I had to sum up the evidence, I would say that a daily ginger shot might help ease inflammation a bit, but this may not translate into noticeable benefits in your hands and knees.
There is also evidence to support claims that it can help nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and after surgery or chemotherapy. The research also suggests it may lower blood glucose and ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) levels – both good things in theory.
You could always give it a try for 4-6 weeks. Research suggests ginger supplementation is safe, with the most common side effect being heartburn.
However, it may interact with some medicines, particularly ‘blood thinners’ like warfarin, apixaban and aspirin and stronger painkillers like codeine, so if you are on these, do check with your pharmacist first.
A typical recipe would be to liquidise 100-150g root ginger (depending on how spicy you like it) with 300ml coconut water. You can add apple and lemon to taste too. As for dose, 50-75ml once a day should suffice.
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