Capsules: Ginger, Eclipta and Siberian Ginsing

A supplement to The Herb Companion from the American Botanical Council and the Herb Research Foundation.

Ginger battles cholesterol 

Indian researchers report that rhizomes of ginger (Zingiber officinale), a common culinary spice and ancient herbal medicine in both Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions, may help the body reduce cholesterol levels and unclog arteries.

Researchers at the ­University of Rajasthan fed five groups of five healthy male rabbits either a diet high in cholesterol or a normal diet. One group received the normal diet for 120 days. Two groups received the high-cholesterol diet for 60 days. The fourth group received the high-cholesterol diet for 60 days, then the normal diet for an additional 60 days. The fifth group received the high-cholesterol diet for 60 days, then the normal diet plus an oral ginger extract for an additional 60 days.

The animals on the high-cholesterol diet had a sevenfold increase in total serum cholesterol levels, a high incidence of plaque buildup on their artery walls, and a reduction in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good”, cholesterol levels. After 60 days off the high-cholesterol diet, the rabbits treated with ginger had a 79.7 percent reduction in blood cholesterol and near-normal levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids in their liver and aorta. The animals in the high-cholesterol groups not treated with the ginger extract had only a 23.9 percent reduction of serum cholesterol and significant increases in cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid levels in their liver and aorta.

Ginger appears to work by converting low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—or “bad”—cholesterol into a form that HDL cholesterol can transport to the liver, where it can be metabolized and then eliminated from the body. The researchers concluded that several mechanisms may be involved; a constituent of ginger called 6-gingerol is known to increase the secretion of bile, which would promote the metabolism of LDL cholesterol.(1)