Is Ginger an Effective Natural Anti-Inflammatory?

Ginger is a root that originates from Asia, specifically India and China. It has been used for millennia in cooking, medicine, and in the field of facial and body care. Ginger has a spicy scent and a unique warming taste. It is attributed with several benefits due to its unique specific composition, particularly its anti-inflammatory properties.

Among the active ingredients found in ginger that are responsible for its anti-inflammatory activity, we can mention gingerol, shogaol, and citral. These molecules act at different levels within the cells of the epidermis to reduce inflammation and soothe the skin and scalp. Gingerol, in particular, is capable of inhibiting the activity of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as the COX (cyclooxygenase) enzyme, which is responsible for the production of prostaglandins, chemical mediators of inflammation.

Shogaol, which has a chemical structure similar to gingerol, operates through a slightly different mechanism. To reduce inflammation, it inhibits the activation of the NF-κB protein by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which results inpreventing the induction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), an enzyme involved in the processes of inflammation.

Finally, the actions of gingerol and shogaol are complemented by that of geranial, one of the two isomers of citral. Studies have shown that this active ingredient reduces the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome complex, triggering a pathway of inflammatory signaling and the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β and interleukin-4).