Could ginger shots help my osteoarthritis?
Our expert GP Dr Mark Porter considers the evidence on whether ginger juice may calm inflammation.
Our expert GP Dr Mark Porter considers the evidence on whether ginger juice may calm inflammation.
Is ginger juice good for you? I have osteoarthritis that 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 that ginger supplementation is safe, with the most common side effect being heartburn. However, it may interact with some medicines, particularly 'blood thinners' such as warfarin, apixaban and aspirin, and stronger painkillers like codeine, so if you're on these, do check with your pharmacist first.
A typical recipe would be to liquidise 100-150g of root ginger (depending on how spicy you like it) with 300ml of coconut water. You can add apple and lemon to taste, too. As for the dose, 50-75ml once a day should suffice.
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