Lung cancer is among the leading cancer-related cause of death in the United States, and while this type of cancer may be caused by various circumstances the most common cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoking (Source).
Treating lung cancer is a individualized process, even so, most treatment programs consist of prescription medications, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Alternative medicine treatments are rising among cancer patients and the medical community is continually searching for effective herbal options for treatment.
Ginger has been utilized for medicinal purposes for centuries, and while researchers are unsure of its cancer-fighting benefits, it may reduce other symptoms associated with cancer treatments.
Ginger Active Constituents:
The primary active constituents in ginger include: volatile oils and phenol compounds (Source). It is believed by researcher Wendell L. Combest, Ph.D. that the primary compounds within ginger are responsible for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic properties (Source).
Although ginger has undergone research regarding its use as an anti-cancer herb, most studies cannot provide a conclusive answer. An interesting study performed by the University of Minnesota’s Hormel Institute found when mice were given gingerol (a primary derivative of ginger) three times a week, the mice experienced a lag in cancer development (Source). While this study is promising, further research is required to determine the true effectiveness of ginger against cancer cells.
Cancer Treatment Benefits:
Although the use of ginger to eradicate or slow the development of lung cancer cells is not clear among the medical community, researchers have found that ginger can help treat symptoms that accompany various lung cancer treatments.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the primary active constituents found in ginger have been proven to reduce the severity of nausea caused by chemotherapy treatments. While patients in this study experienced a significant decrease in nausea sensations, ginger did not reduce the frequency of vomiting (Source).
Other studies also suggest that ginger can be an effective anti-nausea and anti-vomiting treatment due to anesthesia (Source).
If you are interested in taking ginger to reduce nausea associated with lung cancer treatments or to reduce the likelihood of feeling sick after undergoing anesthesia then you should consume one to two grams of powdered ginger root one hour before being placed on anesthesia or taking up to 250 milligrams of ginger extract four times per day (Source). Make sure that the ginger contains a pungent phenol concentration of 5 percent and a volatile oil concentration of at least 4 percent to receive maximum benefits (Source).
References Used:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031029064357.htm
Science Daily: Dietary Ginger May Work Against Cancer Growth
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-cancer/DS00038
Mayo Clinic: Lung Cancer
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm
University of Maryland Medical Center: Ginger
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.html
MedlinePlus: Ginger