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Protective effects of ginger extract against diabetes-induced heart abnormality in rats
This empirical study looks at the effect of ginger extract on levels of apoproteins A and B, hyperhomocysteinemia (abnormally high homocysteine blood levels), cardiac fibrosis, and other risk factors/complications related to cardiovascular disease. The study looked at 24 male rats, divided into control, non-treated diabetic and treated diabetic groups, and found that ginger extract treatment ameliorated heart structural issues such as fibrosis, which is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This improvement was correlated with more normalized levels of proteins associated with cardiovascular disease.

Strengths: had a control (non-diabetic) group, as well as both untreated and treated diabetic groups, making comparisons to different controls possible

Weaknesses: does not elucidate the way ginger combats diabetes/CVD-related complications, small sample size (24 rats)

Support: ginger has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that protect against diabetes/CVD complications

Beneficial effects of ginger Zingiber officinale Roscoe on obesity and metabolic syndrome: a review
This review looks at the beneficial effects of ginger on metabolic syndromes such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It gives insight into the mechanisms by which ginger operates to ameliorate symptoms of such metabolic issues, such as through the involvement of transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and nuclear factor κB. It includes useful charts that isolate metabolic syndrome factors such as diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis, and for each list the experimental outcomes of experiments performed on specific cells. It also includes clinical trials which are more relevant because they are human studies.

Strengths: Provides a comprehensive look at studies within the past 5 years that find ameliorative effects of ginger on metabolic syndromes, and goes beyond ginger's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to include a discussion of its hypotensive, hypolipidemic, and carbohydrate digestion-suppressing mechanisms as well.

Weaknesses: does not mention studies in which the effects of ginger on such metabolic syndromes are shown to be less significant

Support: ginger has a wide range of protective mechanisms against diabetes/CVD/other metabolic syndromes

Effects of ginger on serum glucose, advanced glycation end products, and inflammation in peritoneal dialysis patients
This empirical study looked at the effects of ginger extract on serum glucose, advanced glycation end products, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers in people with peritoneal dialysis (a treatment that uses the lining of your abdomen as a filter by which a cleaning solution cleans your blood). Serum glucose decreased by 20% in those treated with ginger extract compared to their initial level, which was significant when compared to serum glucose of the placebo group. However, markers for AGEs and inflammation did not significantly decrease in the experimental group.

Strengths: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, with both men and women

Weaknesses: small sample size (36 participants), didn't measure glycosylated hemoglobin (increased in RBCs of people with poorly controlled diabetes)

Support: ginger does have ameliorative effects against diabetes, as serum glucose decreased, but also the significance of ginger's anti-inflammatory properties are put into question

The effect of ginger powder supplementation on insulin resistance and glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes
This empirical study looked at ginger's effect on insulin resistance and glycemic indices given the scientific evidence already existing in support of ginger's ameliorative properties against metabolic syndromes. Diabetic participants treated with ginger extract showed statistically significant differences in fasting insulin level, insulin sensitivity, and homeostass model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). However, one of this article's conclusions is that research performed with human and animal subjects have been contradictory mostly because humans' weight and severity of insulin resistance is not often controlled for. It was here, making this study more reliable.

Strengths: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, larger sample size (88 participants)

Weaknesses: short study period (2 months), inflammation markers not measured

Support: glucose has protective mechanisms against metabolic syndromes that extend beyond antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, and include amelioration of insulin resistance. More should be looked into about the relationship between all these effects and underlying mechanisms

The Amazing and Mighty Ginger
This article gives an overview of ginger in terms of its history, usage, components, health implications, and safety. It does include a comprehensive review of scientific articles relating to the potential health benefits of ginger, with a whole section about ginger's anti-inflammatory properties, which could be useful for my argument about ginger's positive effects against metabolic syndromes. However, what I focused on is what it says about ginger's use now (more of a psychosocial factor). The articles mentions that "natural" medicines have recently become more popular, and and increasing number of older adults are using these medicines normally without even mentioning the usage to their doctor. I think this might help in an argument about why so many studies of ginger are being done (the popular interest), or rather the toll that the exploitation of these studies is taking on the population's conceptions of what is healthy (i.e., natural medicines such as ginger) and what is not. While there has been lots of evidence in support of ginger's ameliorative qualities especially in anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative terms, it is not good for the public to automatically assume an herb will help them and not consult their doctor. This article is strong in that it provides a comprehensive review of many different studies and is part of compilation of articles about herbal medicine. Its weakness is that the Hormel Foundation and Pediatrics Pharmaceuticals was involved in the publication, which might not be as in favor of natural drugs because they could compete with pharmaceuticals. However, I think it is good in describing how people may have high faith in natural drugs that is not always beneficial.

Effects of ginger and expectations on symptoms of nausea in a balanced placebo design
This study makes a point of distinguishing between placebo effects and the actual effects of ginger on nausea. While my nutrition controversy is not focused on how ginger could ameliorate nausea symptoms, this study hits on something important in all drug studies, namely how much of the purported effects are a result of the drug itself as opposed to psychological influences of just using the drug. In this study, they crossed the drug given (placebo or ginger) with information given (placebo or ginger) to make it truly distinguish the effects between ginger and any psychological conceptions, which is a strength of this study. When this was done, there were no significant differences in effects after treatment of induced nausea, which suggests that more well-controlled studies should be performed to separate ginger's real effects and psychological influences. A strength to this study was that it clearly enumerated its own weaknesses, one being that the participants came in at either 8 or 10:30am, so they started out with different cortisol levels. This makes it more credible, as does the fact that there are no clear conflicts of interest. A weakness is obviously that the study is not directly related to anything anti-inflammatory or diabetes related, but it does a good job of bringing into question whether the effects shown in other studies are significant.

"Ginger is a gamble"
This article focuses on the role ginger plays as a cash crop in South India. This is useful in terms of my nutritional controversy because it focuses on one group for which it might be advantageous that ginger is thought of as having health benefits, namely, the farmers who earn money off selling the ginger they have grown. It mentions that several farmers have become millionaires in a matter of a couple years just by growing ginger, and that stories about getting rich overnight through cultivating ginger play an important role in the dreams of Southern Indians' regarding class mobility and success as an independent man. It also discusses how risky growing ginger is because it is so sensitive to rainfall and other environmental conditions, but it stresses that ginger cultivation has helped many people reach their life aspirations. This article is strong in that the researcher did fieldwork and spoke to actual farmers during his writing of the article, so there are many first-hand accounts. Additionally, there appear to be no conflicts of interest in terms of funding. This article is mainly useful because it helps us realize it might be good to look more closely at studies funded by agricultural organizations in India and South/Southeast Asia.

Production, Marketing, and Economics of Ginger
This book chapter goes into depth about the marketing and economic aspects of ginger. It also highlights that ginger play a key commercial role in India and China (the two largest world producers of ginger). It says that many countries have joined in on production within 5 or 6 years prior to the publication of the book, so ginger comprises an expanding market. The area being used for production of ginger in India has been on a steady rise since the late 1970s and only continues to increase. This is important for my controversy because it also highlights a potential bias in research supporting the health benefits of ginger: those who benefit from ginger being purchased, such as the producers themselves and businesses that work between farms and the consumer, would want the public to have a conception of ginger as a health food that helps with inflammation, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, etc., in order to make as much profit as possible. A strength of this chapter is that it gives lots of hard data related to the area, production and productivity associated with ginger, and does not make broad claims without this evidence. A possible weakness is that the editors of this book are. A weakness is that it does not include any precise number on the effects of ginger on the economy of India, China, Nepal, or any other country in that region where ginger cultivation is widespread.

Effects of Ginger on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Components of the Metabolic Syndrome
This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials analyzes the findings of studies on the effect of ginger on type 2 diabetes as well as metabolic syndrome complications. The authors acknowledge that the exact mechanisms by which ginger acts as an antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic agent have yet to be fully elucidated. However, it was found that ginger treatment consistently reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels, suggesting that ginger might be able to play a therapeutic role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, and perhaps that of other metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The authors point out that there is no evidence suggesting ginger has any effect on body mass index (BMI), and the herb has not been implicated in the treatment of obesity despite its ameliorative effects on metabolic complications associated with obesity.

Pros: Meta-analysis of randomized control trials, supports my argument that ginger has ameliorative effects on hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, etc

Cons: Only 10 studies met the initial screening criteria, so there is more research to be done.