Ginger may be used in people with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as an adjuvant therapeutic intervention.
The results of a September 2023 study from the USA show support for the potential of full spectrum ginger to affect neutrophil function in humans. This means ginger may possibly be used in humans with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as an adjuvant therapeutic intervention. One of the corresponding authors said "ginger may have a real ability to complement treatment programs that are already underway." The authors said this study can set the stage for the eventual clinical testing of ginger in patients with neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)-driven autoimmune diseases such as lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis and even COVID-19.
Chronic, incurable autoimmune diseases such as APS and lupus are associated with significant morbidity, mortality and health care costs. While these diseases demonstrate unique clinical characteristics, there is convincing evidence that both are driven by a shared mechanism: dysfunctional and exaggerated neutrophil extracellular trap formation (termed NETosis). Excessive NETosis propels inflammatory and thrombotic (when blood clots block veins or arteries) cascades, contributing to end organ damage over time and to the progression of many autoimmune diseases, including APS and lupus. Recent studies by this research group and others have demonstrated that excessive NETosis affects immune tolerance resulting in autoantibody formation. This sets up a vicious cycle because at the same time disease-associated autoantibodies drive further NETosis. The researchers have revealed a particularly important role for neutrophils and NETs in the thrombo-inflammatory disease manifestations that are relevant to not only APS and lupus but also other diseases, such as COVID-19. Safe agents that restrain NETosis in patients might therefore improve outcomes across various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Researchers postulate that herbs with anti-inflammatory properties are potentially untapped resources in the search for agents that can combat pathogenic NETosis.
In this study researchers recruited nine healthy adults, aged 18 to 38 years, to receive a 100mg oral full spectrum ginger supplement daily for seven consecutive days. Blood samples were collected at baseline and on days seven and 14, with isolation of neutrophils, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma. The researchers measured NETosis as a way to show the effect of ginger on inflammation. Blood samples from healthy adults showed an inhibition of NET after one week of daily ginger supplements. Measures of neutrophil cyclic AMP (cAMP) were significantly higher after seven days of ginger supplements compared with baseline levels, although these levels returned to near baseline one week after discontinuing ginger consumption. Oral ginger supplements reduced neutrophil phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity by 40% from baseline, similar to results seen with synthetic PDE4 inhibitors (anti-inflammatory drugs). These results build on previous studies showing inhibition of neutrophil hyperactivity in mice with antiphospholipid syndrome and lupus after injection with a purified ginger preparation. This study also replicated the results of a 2021 study showing effects of oral ginger on neutrophils in eight additional healthy adults who also showed reduced NETosis and increased cAMP after one week of ginger supplements.
References
Ali RA, Minarchick VC, Zahavi M, Rysenga CE, Sturm KA, Hoy CK, Sarosh C, Knight JS, Demoruelle MK. Ginger intake suppresses neutrophil extracellular trap formation in autoimmune mice and healthy humans. JCI Insight. 2023 Sep 22;8(18):e172011. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.172011. PMID: 37737262; PMCID: PMC10561719.
Splete H. Ginger Consumption May Mitigate Neutrophil Dysfunction. Medscape Medical News WebMD c2023 (updated 22 Sept 2023; accessed 20 Oct 2023). Available from https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/996737?ecd=wnl_recnlnew2_ous_230925_MSCPEDIT_etid5888596&uac=289474CK&impID=5888596
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