This list of brain boosting nutrients lists ginger for its anti-inflammatory effect:
http://www.smart-pub...t_nutrients.php
I had never before considered reducing inflammation to be a way to increase mental performance. I've purchased some ginger and haven't really noticed any effects. From the research, it seems pretty useless unless you have a disease associated with increased inflammation. Has anyone else tried it? I mostly research nootropics found online for sale at nootropic specific sites, that are part of a combined "smart" supplement, or found on a list like this. This is the first time I've run across ginger.
Smart Nutrient #5: Ginger
Ginger reduces inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis. (Prostaglandins and leukotrienes occur naturally in your brain and other tissues. They are major causes of inflammation.)22
Reducing inflammation in brain tissues improves brain function by protecting against damage to neuronal structures. Ginger has been proven to be as effective as NSAIDs in reducing brain inflammation but without their side effects and toxicity that include liver problems, stomach problems, and other debilitating side effects.
Ginger is also recommended in Ayurvedic medicine for atherosclerosis, bronchitis, diarrhea, hypercholesterolemia, motion sickness, and ulcerative colitis.24
Side effects and toxicity
I found this study
http://pdfcast.org/p...ale-albino-rats
In this study, the neuroprotective effect of the extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) was investigated
against MSG-induced neurotoxicity of male albino rat. The daily dose (4 mg kg-1 b.wt.) i.p. injection of pure
monosodium glutamate (MSG) for 30 days and subsequent withdrawal caused a significant decrease in
epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) content all tested areas (cerebellum,
brainstem, striatum, cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and hippocampus) at most of the time intervals studied. This
is may be due to activation of glutamate receptors, which led to increased the intracellular concentration of Ca+2
ions, so the release of neurotransmitters is increased and the content of monoamines is decreased. After the
withdrawal, the decrease in monoamines levels remained in striatum, cerebral cortex and hypothalamus, this may
be due to the region specific effect of monosodium glutamate, whereas, daily dose (100 mg kg-1 b.wt.) i.p.,
injection of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) root extract for 30 days and subsequent withdrawal caused a significant
increased in epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) content all tested areas
at most of the time intervals studied. This is may be due to inhibition of 5HT-3-receptor effects at the same time
the extract blockade of Ca+2 channel, as result the release of neurotransmitter is decreased and the content is
increased. After the extract withdrawal, the increase in monoamine levels remained in brainstem, striatum and
hippocampus, this may be due to the region specific effect of the extract. The coadminisration of monosodium
glutamate and ginger root extract caused increased in monoamine content in most of the tested brain areas at
different time intervals. This is may be due to partly attributable to an antagonistic action of ginger root extracts
on monosodium glutamate effect, so the monoamines content was increased. From these results, we can say
that the ginger extract has a neuroprotective role against monosodium glutamate toxicity effect.
This page
http://www.holistic-...-of-ginger.html
A 2004 article in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (authored by some researchers from my alma mater, Johns Hopkins) showed that a ginger extract has the potential to slow the progression of brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s disease. So while we have no clinical studies in humans showing that ginger can impact Alzheimer’s or any dementia, the data suggest that a ginger extract could prevent some of the damage to brain cells that marks the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. A 2004 article in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (authored by some researchers from my alma mater, Johns Hopkins) showed that a ginger extract has the potential to slow the progression of brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s disease. So while we have no clinical studies in humans showing that ginger can impact Alzheimer’s or any dementia, the data suggest that a ginger extract could prevent some of the damage to brain cells that marks the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Edited by bmud, 02 February 2010 - 02:43 PM.