Ginger is a wondrously healing and versatile plant.
Besides being a pungent, spicy addition to a wide variety of dishes, it also offers an impressive array of specific health benefits, many of which we’ve discussed in previous articles.
Ginger extract has been shown to be effective against bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens (which gives it the official title of universal antimicrobial).[1] It boosts metabolism (thus aiding weight loss), enhances detoxification, and functions as a perfect natural anti-inflammatory.[2]
It has even demonstrated greater efficacy than chemotherapy at targeting cancer stem cells,[3] and is therefore considered a cancer treatment of the future by many cutting-edge researchers and health professionals.
And in case you need yet another reason to include ginger in your diet and supplement regimen, a recent study revealed that ginger can also be a powerful ally for those living with type 2 diabetes.
Plants, not drugs
The American Diabetes Association and its affiliates still maintain that type 2 diabetes cannot be cured, despite voluminous evidence demonstrating that proper diet, lifestyle modification, and the use of anti-diabetic functional foods can all but eradicate the symptoms and complications of diabetes.
There are over fifty peer-reviewed studies demonstrating that ginger exhibits anti-diabetic properties. Previous studies have established that ginger root contains compounds that are strongly anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,[4] and obesity-suppressing (via the regulation of fat and glucose metabolism).[5]
Other, newer studies focus on the ability of ginger compounds (especially zingerone, geraniol, 6-gingerol, ginerenone A, and 6-shogaol) to attenuate the complications of type 2 diabetes, such as xerostomia (dry mouth),[6] oxidative-stress-induced immune dysfunction, prostate issues, and tissue fibrosis.[7]
Another study even observed that daily ginger consumption is associated with a dramatically decreased incidence of diabetes (as well as many of the comorbidities of diabetes, such as hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary heart disease).[8]
Perhaps most excitingly, a flurry of new studies point directly to ginger’s ability to improve nearly every marker of type 2 diabetes (without any of the side effects of conventional diabetes drugs).
A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism went so far as to state that the “use of safe and natural foods instead of medications is now [being] considered by many scientists” (my italics). [9]
This is a monumental step toward recognizing that type 2 diabetes doesn’t just have to be “managed” with drugs, but instead can be completely reversed with proper diet and lifestyle (and a little help from particularly anti-diabetic plants like ginger).
In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 50 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into two groups. One group received 2000 milligrams of ginger supplements daily for 10 weeks, and the other group received a placebo.
The group who took ginger experienced a significant improvement in multiple diabetes markers, including fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1C (which literally measures the damage being done by sugars to red blood cells throughout the body), and the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol.[10]
Supporting studies have confirmed these therapeutic benefits, and have added to the list of diabetes markers that ginger can help improve. The simple act of supplementing daily with ginger can improve not only the parameters mentioned above, but also insulin sensitivity and homeostatic model assessment (a comprehensive model for measuring insulin resistance and beta-cell function), triglyceride levels (hyperlipidemia is common among diabetics, and can lead to heart disease and other serious health issues), total cholesterol, and markers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2).[11]
These data points show that ginger doesn’t simply mask symptoms or arbitrarily target isolated imbalances in the body (like pharmaceuticals). Instead, it provides full-spectrum support for every level of diabetic imbalance, from the general (systemic inflammation and oxidative stress) to the specific (insulin sensitivity, glucose levels, and hemoglobin A1C).
By tackling not only the surface-level symptoms of diabetes but also the underlying root imbalances that perpetuate it, ginger can help you heal type 2 diabetes rather than just managing it.
How to heal with ginger
Any healing protocol should start with dietary considerations. Luckily, ginger is a wonderful ingredient to use in the context of many cooking styles.
Add it raw to homemade sushi rolls or finely grate it onto salads. Give your smoothies an anti-inflammatory kick by tossing in a couple inches worth of raw ginger root. It’s also a lovely spice to use in stir fry dishes and soups, of course, but keep in mind that raw ginger has more of its beneficial components intact.
If you want to amplify the anti-diabetic and overall healing properties of ginger, seek out a high-quality, liposomal extract. We highly recommend Curcumin Gold, which combines micelle liposomal ginger oil with turmeric and omega-3s from algal oil, both of which are also powerfully healing for diabetes.
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27127591
[2] https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2005.8.125
[3] http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0137614
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29466287
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28556482
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28884081
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28904557
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28336112
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29344037
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29344037
