Ginger May Improve Effectiveness Of Asthma Medications, Study Shows

Results of a study from the Columbia University in New York showed adding ginger to asthma medications may help improve their effectiveness. Researchers found components of ginger may have properties that could help strengthen the relaxing effects of beta-agonists and other asthma medications on the airway smooth muscle. Asthma is a breathing disorder characterized by bronchoconstriction, a tightening of the bronchial tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs. Researchers studied the ginger components —6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, and 6 shogaol —by mixing each with a beta-agonist medication, and assessing their effects on ASM tissue samples made to contract by exposing them to acetylcholine, a compound that causes bronchoconstriction.