Naturopathic and herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years, and in the modern day, has become an amalgamation of traditional knowledge from all over the world.
Currently however, Naturopaths and clients are leaning toward evidence-based medicine more and more.
Although this is great in terms of efficacy, safety and understanding, there is a giant time lag in the research that needs to be done to cover all the traditional medicines, theories and practices Naturopathy has accrued over so many years.
Therefore, every time research comes out that hints to our traditional practices being proven, we get very excited!
As it means we are one step closer to bridging the gap between traditional and evidence-based medicine, and we are able to practice in the way we know best, with the assurance of safety and efficacy for all our clients!
Ginger and Hypothyroidism
In traditional Iranian medicine, warming herbs such as ginger were used to treat conditions of a cooler temperament, such as hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a common disorder which can lead to a range of symptoms including weight gain, fatigue, voice changes, cold intolerance, constipation, dry skin, hair-fall, menstrual irregularities, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, and malaise.
Many people treated for hypothyroidism with thyroxine, still present with symptoms.
Therefore, in a recent randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled, study, by Ashraf et al.’s (2022), Ginger dried from the rhizome, was trialled at 500mg 2 x per day, in patients taking thyroxine but still experiencing symptoms.
The results found that the ginger group had significant results compared to placebo in the following:
- Improving serum TSH levels
- Improving clinical symptoms such as tiredness, cold intolerance, constipation, dry skin, appetite, weight gain, memory loss, concentration, and dizziness.
- Improving fasting blood glucose
- Improving triglycerides and cholesterol
- And improving weight and BMI (body mass index)
Although more studies are needed to confirm these results, they are still significant, and are a great example of how traditional medicine practices still have such great value in our modern world.
Ginger is just one of the tools we have in our belt, to support and prevent hypothyroidism. As always, all conditions should be investigated and supported through a holistic and multifaceted approach, to ensure the best and most sustainable results.
If you struggle with hypothyroidism, and are in search of a more holistic approach, please book in with one of our Naturopaths!
We can help you navigate the cause of these issues and better manage your symptoms holistically, through traditional and (now) evidence-based medicine!
Malvern Natural Healthcare
info@mnhc.com.au
Reference:
Ashraf, H., Heydari, M., Shams, M., Zarshenas, M. M., Tavakoli, A., & Sayadi, M. (2022). Efficacy of Ginger Supplementation in Relieving Persistent Hypothyroid Symptoms in Patients with Controlled Primary Hypothyroidism: A Pilot Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2022, 5456855. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5456855