Kion or ginger is a medicinal plant in the form of a rhizome and its scientific name is Zingiber Officinale . It has multiple benefits and has been used since ancient times. Below is detailed detail:
- Inhibits chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, ulcer, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular diseases and depression.
- The beneficial effect of ginger in such diseases is mainly due to its antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
- It contains several antioxidant compounds such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, quercetin, genistein and tannin .
- It contains essential elements such as manganese, copper, selenium and zinc. Additionally, ginger has been found to contain low amounts of toxic elements such as cadmium, lead, and nickel .
- A recent study linking ginger to testosterone showed that ginger supplementation, particularly under conditions of oxidative stress, improves testosterone production in men. The mechanisms by which this occurs mainly by improving the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), increasing the cholesterol level in the testes, reducing oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the testes, improving the activity of antioxidant enzymes, normalizing blood glucose, increasing blood flow in the testicles, increasing testicular weight and recycling testosterone receptors. Review the complete research in (Saleem Ali Banihani, 2018. A review of Ginger and Testosterone. Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences of Jordan University).
- Other studies using animal models have shown that ginger and its phenolic components (i.e., gingerol) suppress carcinogenesis in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, colon, and breast. Ginger extracts have been tested for both antitumor promotion and apoptotic potential in various cancer cell lines in vitro, including leukemia, gastric, prostate, ovarian, and lung carcinoma. The chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic mechanisms of ginger are not well understood, but are believed to involve positive regulation of carcinogenic detoxifying enzymes, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory activity. Review the full article in (Mukkavilli, Rao. 2017. Absorption, Metabolic Stability, and Pharmacokinetics of Ginger Phytochemicals. Article of Department of Biology of Georgia State University).