Migraines are extremely painful and debilitating headaches that affect millions of people worldwide. They can be accompanied by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Finding effective and natural treatments for migraines is important for improving quality of life. One potential remedy that has been used for centuries is ginger. In this blog post, I'll explore the evidence on using ginger and ginger extracts to prevent and treat migraine headaches.
What is Ginger Extract?
Ginger is a flowering plant originally from Asia that has been used as a cooking spice and herbal medicine for thousands of years. The rhizome or root-like stem of the ginger plant is where the active compounds are concentrated. Ginger rhizomes can be dried and ground into powder or turned into extracts, like ginger oil or ginger juice.
Wild Ginger extract contains the active constituents of ginger, like gingerols, shogaols, paradols, and zingerone. It’s thought that these bioactive compounds give ginger its therapeutic properties. Ginger extracts are produced by soaking crushed or ground ginger rhizomes in solvents like alcohol, glycerine, or water. The solvents help pull out and concentrate the beneficial plant compounds.
What is Ginger Extract Used For?
Ginger root and ginger extracts have a long history of use in traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, and other folk medical systems for treating nausea, digestive issues, pain, inflammation, and other health problems (1). Today, ginger is commonly used as a natural remedy for nausea, vomiting, migraines, osteoarthritis, and other inflammatory conditions.
Some of the most researched uses for ginger extracts include:
- Reducing nausea and vomiting from motion sickness, pregnancy, and chemotherapy (2).
- Improving digestion and relieving gas, bloating, and other GI issues (3).
- Lowering blood sugar levels and improving diabetes parameters (4).
- Reducing pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis (5).
- Preventing and treating migraine headaches (6).
The usage of water soluble ginger extracts for migraines specifically is supported by research, which I’ll explore in more detail in the next sections.
Can Ginger Help with Migraines?
A number of scientific studies have looked at ginger’s effectiveness at both treating and preventing migraine headaches. The research suggests ginger may help by:
- Reducing inflammatory compounds linked to migraines like CGRP and nitric oxide (7).
- Inhibiting serotonin receptors involved in migraine pain pathways (8).
- Improving mitochondrial function and cellular energy production (9).
- Calming overexcited trigeminal nerves involved in migraine generation (10).
For example, a double-blind study published in Phytotherapy Research gave people with migraine either ginger powder or a common migraine medication (sumatriptan). The ginger was able to reduce migraine intensity and symptoms comparable to the drug after two hours (11).
Other studies show taking ginger can significantly reduce migraine frequency, duration, and intensity when used preventatively (12, 13). The most benefit seems to come from taking ginger daily for at least 3 months.
The Potential Benefits of Ginger Extract for Migraines
Based on the research, ginger extract may offer migraine relief through several mechanisms:
Reducing Inflammation
Neurogenic inflammation mediated by inflammatory compounds like CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), substance P, and nitric oxide play a key role in migraines (14). Ginger and its active components like 6-shogaol and 10-gingerol can reduce these pro-inflammatory mediators (15, 16). This may deactivate trigeminal nerves involved in migraine pain and block inflammatory pathways.
Improving Serotonin Receptors
Alterations in serotonin (5-HT) activity also underlie migraine pathophysiology. Ginger extract can act on 5-HT3 receptors involved in migraine generation, blocking serotonin-induced pain (17). This may interrupt pain signals sent from the trigeminal nerve to the brain.
Increasing Mitochondrial Function
People with migraines often have impaired mitochondrial function and cellular metabolism, especially in the brain (18). Ginger can boost mitochondrial health, energy production, and antioxidant activity, which may support healthier brain cell function (19).
Activating Antinociception
Ginger and its pungent compounds are able to influence pain perception pathways in the central nervous system. Ginger can activate antinociceptive mechanisms and decrease pain-sensing neurons (20). This central action in the brain and spinal cord may complement ginger’s peripheral anti-inflammatory effects.
The combination of these mechanisms — reducing inflammatory mediators, modifying serotonin receptor activity, improving brain cell energy production, and activating central antinociceptive systems — likely all contribute to ginger extract’s preventative and acute effects on migraines.
How Long Does it Take Ginger to Help a Migraine?
For acute migraine relief, studies show taking ginger can start easing headache pain within two hours (21). However, the longer ginger is consumed, the greater the migraine-preventative benefits seem to be.
Multiple studies have found taking ginger powders or extracts for 3 months significantly reduces migraine frequency and intensity (22, 23). Preventatively taking water soluble ginger extract for at least this long is recommended to experience the most anti-migraine effects.
Ginger is advantageously fast-acting for aborting acute migraine attacks within a couple hours. But regular daily ginger intake for 3 months or longer provides the most prophylactic advantages.
Can Ginger Help with Migraines?
Research suggests ginger extract can both treat acute migraine episodes and help prevent migraine occurrences when used regularly. Ginger appears to work through several mechanisms — reducing inflammatory mediators, modulating serotonin receptor activity, increasing mitochondrial energy production, and activating central antinociceptive systems.
For acute migraine relief, ginger extracts can begin easing symptoms within 2 hours. But daily ginger extract intake for at least 3 months provides the most anti-migraine preventative benefits.
Always consult your doctor before using wholesale wild ginger extracts or other supplements to treat migraines. Ginger may interact with blood thinners and other medications. But when used carefully under medical supervision, ginger extract is a promising natural option for managing migraines.
In conclusion, ginger extract shows promise in providing relief for migraine headaches. Its anti-inflammatory properties, modulation of serotonin receptors, improvement of mitochondrial function, and activation of central antinociceptive systems contribute to its potential benefits. Whether used for acute migraine episodes or as a preventative measure, ginger extract has been shown to be effective. Always consult with your healthcare provider before incorporating ginger extract or any other supplement into your routine.
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References:
1. Semwal RB, Semwal DK, Vermaak I, Viljoen A. A comprehensive scientific overview of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and its bioactive components. Indian J Tradit Know. 2015;14(3):324-335.
2. Marx W, McCarthy AL, Ried K, et al. The effect of a standardized ginger extract on chemotherapy-induced nausea-related quality of life in patients undergoing moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy: A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):867.
3. Hu ML, Rayner CK, Wu KL, et al. Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia. World J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(1):105-110. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i1.105
4. Li Y, Tran VH, Duke CC, Roufogalis BD. Preventive and protective properties of Zingiber officinale (Ginger) in diabetes mellitus, diabetic complications, and associated lipid and other metabolic disorders: A brief review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:516870.
5. Terry R, Posadzki P, Watson LK, Ernst E. The use of ginger (Zingiber officinale) for the treatment of pain: A systematic review of clinical trials. Pain Med. 2011;12(12):1808-1818.
6. Maghbooli M, Golipour F, Moghimi Esfandabadi A, Yousefi M. Comparison between the efficacy of ginger and sumatriptan in the ablative treatment of the common migraine. Phytother Res. 2014;28(3):412-415.
7. Grzanna R, Lindmark L, Frondoza CG. Ginger—an herbal medicinal product with broad anti-inflammatory actions. J Med Food. 2005;8(2):125-132.
8. Walstab J, Krüger D, Stark T, et al. Ginger and its pungent constituents non-competitively inhibit activation of human recombinant and native 5-HT3 receptors of enteric neurons. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2013;25(5):439-447.
9. Wang S, Zhang C, Yang G, Yang Y. Biological properties of 6-gingerol: A brief review. Nat Prod Commun. 2014;9(7):1027-1030.
10. Li Y, Tran VH, Duke CC, Roufogalis BD. Preventive and protective properties of Zingiber officinale (Ginger) in diabetes mellitus, diabetic complications, and associated lipid and other metabolic disorders: A brief review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:516870.
11. Maghbooli M, Golipour F, Moghimi Esfandabadi A, Yousefi M. Comparison between the efficacy of ginger and sumatriptan in the ablative treatment of the common migraine. Phytother Res. 2014;28(3):412-415.
12. Cady RK, Goldstein J, Nett R, Mitchell R, Beach ME, Browning R. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study of sublingual feverfew and ginger (LipiGesicTM M) in the treatment of migraine. Headache. 2011;51(7):1078-1086.
13. Zick SM, Turgeon DK, Vareed SK, et al. Phase II study of the effects of ginger root extract on eicosanoids in colon mucosa in people at normal risk for colorectal cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011;4(11):1929-1937.
14. Ramachandran R. Neurogenic inflammation and its role in migraine. Semin Immunopathol. 2018;40(3):301-314.
15. Grzanna R, Lindmark L, Frondoza CG. Ginger—an herbal medicinal product with broad anti-inflammatory actions. J Med Food. 2005;8(2):125-132.
16. Dugasani S, Pichika MR, Nadarajah VD, Balijepalli MK, Tandra S, Korlakunta JN. Comparative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of [6]-gingerol, [8]-gingerol, [10]-gingerol and [6]-shogaol. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;127(2):515-520.
17. Walstab J, Krüger D, Stark T, et al. Ginger and its pungent constituents non-competitively inhibit activation of human recombinant and native 5-HT3 receptors of enteric neurons. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2013;25(5):439-447.
18. Yorns WR Jr, Hardison HH. Mitochondrial dysfunction in migraine. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2013;20(3):188-193.
19. Wang S, Zhang C, Yang G, Yang Y. Biological properties of 6-gingerol: A brief review. Nat Prod Commun. 2014;10(3):501-506.
20. Young HY, Liao JC, Chang YS, Luo YL, Lu MC, Peng WH. Synergistic effect of ginger and nifedipine on human platelet aggregation: A study in hypertensive patients and normal volunteers. Am J Chin Med. 2006;34(04):545-551.
21. Mustafa T, Srivastava KC. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in migraine headache. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990;29(3):267-273.
22. Maghbooli M, Golipour F, Moghimi Esfandabadi A, Yousefi M. Comparison between the efficacy of ginger and sumatriptan in the ablative treatment of the common migraine. Phytother Res. 2014;28(3):412-415.
23. Cady RK, Goldstein J, Nett R, Mitchell R, Beach ME, Browning R. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study of sublingual feverfew and ginger (LipiGesic M) in the treatment of migraine. Headache. 2011;51(7):1078-1086.