A recent study in rodents suggests that ginger might help treat people with lupus and those vulnerable to forming dangerous blood clots.
Ginger is a popular food ingredient throughout much of the
world, but it might also harbor anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Researchers
at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor recently looked at whether ginger might help
reduce symptoms of lupus. Specifically, they investigated the main bioactive
compound of ginger root: 6-gingerol.
They
published their findings in JCI Insight.
In lupus,
as the body’s immune system turns on itself, inflammation can cause permanent
damage to tissues. White blood cells called neutrophils play a key role in this
runaway inflammatory reaction.
The authors of the study set out
to “determine the extent to which ginger-derived compounds might function as a
natural suppressor of aberrant neutrophil hyperactivity.”
To
investigate, the scientists assessed the effects of 6-gingerol on mice with
lupus.
They
also included mice with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which is often associated with lupus. APS is an autoimmune disease that causes
blood clots to form in the body’s blood vessels.
The
team found that, in both groups of mice, 6-gingerol prevented the release of
neutrophil extracellular traps. Lead author Ramadan Ali, Ph.D., explains:
“Neutrophil extracellular traps,
or NETs, come from white blood cells called neutrophils. These sticky
spiderweb-like structures are formed when autoantibodies interact with
receptors on the neutrophil’s surface.”
NETs
drive lupus and boost the formation of blood clots. Alongside the reduction of
NETs, 6-gingerol also produced a drop in blood clot formation.
It
also seemed to inhibit phosphodiesterases, which are neutrophil enzymes. This
inhibition led to a reduction in neutrophil activation.
Overall,
the findings suggest that the ginger compound’s anti-inflammatory activity
directly affects autoantibodies related to illnesses such as lupus and APS.
Importantly,
regardless of whether the mice had APS or lupus, there was a reduction in
autoantibodies. This result indicates that the ginger compound might break the
cycle of inflammation and potentially work as a treatment.
Overall,
the authors conclude:
This study is the first to demonstrate a protective role for
ginger-derived compounds in the context of lupus and importantly provides a
potential mechanism for these effects via phosphodiesterase inhibition and
attenuation of neutrophil hyperactivity.
This
preclinical study has laid an exciting foundation for the team. If researchers
can replicate the results in humans, this will raise the possibility that
people could use ginger-based supplements to ease blood clotting issues or
lupus symptoms.
For
some members of the research team, the experiment was particularly eye-opening.
Study author and rheumatologist Dr. Jason Knight admitted that he did not know
much about supplements. “Through my years of medical training, I wasn’t taught
much about supplements, but it’s something that so many patients ask me about.”
Knight continues: “When Ramadan
brought the concept to me, I was enthusiastic to pursue it in my lab, as I knew
it would matter to them. Sometimes, our patients give us really good ideas!”
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