Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) is a tropical perennial plant. Against three major modern diseases — Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer — Shell Ginger exerts wonderful preventive effects. Therefore this plant should be called a modern day ‘Panacea’. The Panacea /pænəˈsiːə/ is a term named after the Greek goddess of universal remedy Panakeia. In Japan for centuries it has been consumed in Okinawa whose population is frequently cited as “the healthiest on earth,” boasts an impressively low incidence of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer. The scientist made a recent experiment on worms and discovered that those fed on a daily diet of Shell Ginger lived an average of 22.6 percent longer than the control group. This miraculous plant is packed with dozens of polyphenols such as Chlorogenic acid, Ferulic acid, Quercetin, Epicatechin, Catechin, and Kaempferol.
Vitamin A works to produce IgA antibody, which is responsible for local immunity to the mucous membrane that is the first defense mechanism against viruses and bacteria in the human body. IgA binds to pathogens and viruses on the surface of the mucous membrane, nullifies the toxins that the pathogens and viruses carry, and prevents them from becoming infected.
Vitamin D activates macrophage which is a type of white blood cell that is found throughout the body, including the blood, brain, liver, lungs, and intestines. It has the function of eating bacteria and viruses that have invaded the body and is one of the important immune cells that protects us from infectious diseases.
JIPANG Ginger Optimal® is a very important supplement in this pandemic era.
So, what does shell ginger contain to be so effective against various diseases?
- Polyphenols– Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. Shell ginger contains 34 times more polyphenols than red wine, which makes our JIPANG Ginger Optimal lifesaver supplement. The compounds in the polyphenols act like anti-inflammatory agents that stop the growth of inflammatory cells that cause inflammation.
- Chlorogenic acid– It decreases the uptake of glucose in the body and assist in regulating blood glucose levels and impacts on the reduction of lipid peroxidation, resulting in significant heart health benefits.
- Ferulic acid– Ferulic acid has powerful antioxidant properties with wide-ranging functions, from anti-aging support to improved cholesterol management to cancer prevention. Its antioxidant effect on the skin is particularly impressive and is often used as an ingredient in skin care products. It has the ability to abrogate the destructive and toxic effects of beta-amyloid peptide which is the protein now believed to impair memory in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Quercetin– Several laboratory studies show quercetin may have anti-inflammatory properties, and it is being investigated for a wide range of potential health benefits.
- Epicatechin– has insulin mimicking action and improves heart health. Dr. Norman Hollenberg of Harvard Medical School even suggests to consider epicatechin as a vitamin.
- Catechin– In laboratory tests, the catechins present in tea leaves have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. In addition to this, they are able to prevent the activity of free radicals, the molecules which cause cellular damage that can lead to cancer.
- Kaempferol– is a strong antioxidant and helps to prevent oxidative damage to our cells, lipids and DNA.
Polyphenol Benefits
Most polyphenols are anti-oxidants, and being anti-oxidants they can minimize the damage done by free radicals on the body. Free radicals are often blamed for causing cellular damage which is associated with aging. Polyphenols are also known to help the immune system, and a strong immune system is important for good health. Polyphenols can also improve the circulation of blood, which can lower the risk of heart and cardiovascular disease.
Thanks to the above mentioned nutrients, fermented leaves of Shell Ginger are effective in the prevention of the following conditions.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by progressive loss of memory, language, reasoning and other cognitive functions, including dementia, the presence of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and synapse loss. Increased oxidative stress, decreased antioxidants, mitochondrial damage and other factors play major roles in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Shell Ginger contains key compounds, especially Ferulic acid, that have been found useful in combating Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which could mean that this supplement might be able to keep the decline from starting. Ferulic acid (FA) as an antioxidant is able to act as a free radical scavenger. Ferulic acid dose-dependently inhibits fAβ (β-Amyloid Fibrils ) formation from amyloid β-peptide. It is a β-secretase modulator with therapeutic potential against Alzheimer’s disease.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2004.02899.x
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4517023/
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0055774.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006291X05017821
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1586/14737175.2015.955853?src=recsys&journalCode=iern20
Cardiovascular diseases (Heart Protection): Several types of research have reported effects consistent with pharmacological applications of quercetin and other polyphenols in cardiovascular diseases. Chlorogenic acid suppresses chronic ventricular remodeling after myocardial ischemia because it is critically involved in the suppression of macrophage infiltration. Another compound, epicatechin alters mitochondrial function and membrane fluidity to produce cardiac protection. Several other types of research have reported effects consistent with pharmacological applications of quercetin in cardiovascular diseases.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23774243
http://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.852.1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20579545
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25915608
Cancer: Shell Ginger can also be effective in the treatment of many types of cancers. It has been found that chlorogenic acid induces cell cycle arrest at the S phase and suppresses the activation of the extracellular signal-related kinase. Chlorogenic acid sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma cells to 5-FU (Fluorouracil) treatment by the suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) activation through the overproduction of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species). Ferulic acid may be used as an effective therapeutic agent against breast cancer. Ferulic acid might inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis via inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway in osteosarcoma cells. In the etiology of cancer, free radical plays a major role; therefore, antioxidants present in diet have fastidious consideration as potential inhibitors of abandoned cell growth. Ferulic acid’s anti-carcinogenic activity is related to its capability of scavenging ROS and stimulation of cytoprotective enzymes. Quercetin has also been studied extensively as a chemoprevention agent in several cancer models.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4415958/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11010-017-3171-1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27177074
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215017X14000368
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2736626/
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions such as increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and low HDL or high triglyceride level which occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It has been seen that one of the polyphenols found in shell ginger, Chlorogenic acid markedly alters the increased plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein but decreases high-density lipoprotein diet with a dose-dependent improvement on both atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor. It has also shown to delay intestinal glucose absorption, inhibit gluconeogenesis and stimulates glucose transport in skeletal muscle via the activation of (AMP-activated protein kinase).
Post-menopausal syndrome: Post Menopause is the years after menopause. During this stage, menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, can annoy many women. As a result of a lower level of estrogen, postmenopausal women are at increased risk for a number of health conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease.Quercetin has also been found useful for the treatment of postmenopausal problems and effective in preventing recurrent urinary tract infections, especially if administered with vaginal estrogen therapy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27838537
Perimenopause is also called the menopausal transition. Women start perimenopause at different ages with symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep problems, and vaginal dryness. In the early 1960s, ferulic acid was found to be effective for reducing menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes. It has been found that ferulic acid may protect against various inflammatory conditions due to its free-radical scavenging effects.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f2ed/9282e8f07d5e4968a23877884a1751fca442.pdf
Maintenance of blood glucose level: A study was carried out to investigate whether chlorogenic acids modulate glucose uptake and gastrointestinal hormone and insulin secretion in humans. It was found that chlorogenic acid might have an antagonistic effect on glucose transport. Therefore, a novel function of some dietary phenols in humans may be to attenuate intestinal glucose absorption rates and shift the site of glucose absorption to more distal parts of the intestine. It is also found that chlorogenic acid decreases the uptake of glucose in the body and assist in regulating blood glucose levels and impacts on the reduction of lipid peroxidation, resulting in significant heart health benefits. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/78/4/728/4690021
Inhibition of formation of AGEs: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are major factors responsible for the complication of diabetes. Labdadiene is a potent antiglycation agent found in shell ginger which was found to inhibit AGEs formation in three different steps in the pathway. These data indicate that labdadiene could be used to prevent glycation-associated complications in diabetes. Another flavonol, Quercetin, found in shell ginger leaves can effectively inhibit the formation of AGEs in a dose-dependent manner via trapping reactive dicarbonyl compounds. In the bovine serum albumin (BSA)–MGO/GO system, quercetin traps Methylglyoxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO) directly and then significantly inhibits the formation of AGEs.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814611005838
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf504132x
Skin problems: Chronic exposure to endogenous and environmental pro-oxidant agents, leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species. Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. The rhizome aqueous extract of Shell Ginger is a good source of bioactive compounds against enzymes responsible for causing skin diseases. Moreover, Kavalactones found in Shell Ginger could be used as a potent inhibitor and can be further exploited to be used in anti-skin disease formulations. Another compound, kaempferol has also been found as a potent chemopreventive agent against skin cancer.
Atopic dermatitis is a condition that makes your skin red and itchy. Dr. Makise has treated more than 40,000 patients suffering from atopic dermatitis, with stunning results. One reason for Shell Ginger’s success according to Dr. Makise is its detoxification effect.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22827920
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006295210004764
Psoriasis is a common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells. Dr. Makise recommends taking JIPANG Ginger in a dose of 1400 mg-2000 mg/day as supplement therapy to prevent the relapse of psoriasis. Flavonoids present in Shell Ginger offer some protection against psoriatic complications through their roles as inhibitors of inflammation and as free radical scavengers. It has also been found that quercetin has the potential against further development as a candidate for psoriasis treatment. For more information about Psoriasis treatment click here>>
