Dear HealingWell,
Firstly, thank you for the support. On my worst days, I would be stuck in the bathroom scouring this forum for a sign of hope. Today I am hopeful that I can pay back the years of support with what I think is the most important thing I think I have ever shared.
A bit about meI have been battling UC without any full remission for six years. I tried oral Mesalamine from two different brands in varying doses, VSL #3 DS, growing Mutaflor at home, the specific carbohydrate diet, and cutting out foods that I thought led to irritation. I even went as far as to do textbook FMT, once a week for two months. I actually made myself ginger tea every day for a year after reading about
the health benefits of 6-gingerols. It got the point that I had to ask people what the definition of “normal” was because I couldn’t remember a day where I wasn’t running to the bathroom, having BMs at least three times a day, and I was just basically unendingly optimistic that my stool would be solid one day and my guts would stop making me curl up in excruciating pain with every little gas bubble. Prednisone and Budesonide were the only things to have any effect on me. Cutting out beer, milk and spicy foods definitely made things easier but nothing got me back to normal.
What am I here to talk about?I was reading an article late last year about
Ginger Derived Nanoparticles (GDNPs) and how a team in Atlanta used them to initiate remission UC in mice. I got a copy of the study they published and did some reading, then I asked a person familiar with the field of study surrounding nanoparticles and biological influences. I then used what I learned and applied it to myself with stunning results.
The studyA very rough summary: They first blended the ginger in a basic Oster brand cheap blender till it was completely liquefied. They then took the product and spun it in a centrifuge at 4K and then 10K RPMs. From each spin they extracted the supernatant, which is basically saying they sucked the juice and left the junk at the bottom. In the study, they say this is simply to remove the solid material (ginger has a lot of fibers and starch). From there they then spun the supernatant in an ultracentrifuge at 150k the times the force of gravity. This resulted in three distinct bands of lipids, or fats, that were infused with 6-gingerols and 6-shogaols. The middle band, referred to as GNDPs 2, had the greatest concentration of these healing compounds and therefore was the focus of the study. They then orally fed GNDPs 2 to the mice and studied its effects. Honestly the majority of the published study and the most effort spent was actually proving why it works to heal the mice. Spoiler alert
: a lot of mice died. If you want to read more about
it, the study is linked below, but you have to pay for the full publication.
What are 6-gingerols/6-shogaols?6-gingerols and 6-shogaols are well documented anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant compounds. It’s not alone, curcumin is an extract of turmeric with similar properties, but the problem is in its hydrophobic properties that don’t allow it to pass through the cellular barrier which is essential to heal the cells in the colon. Curcumin works on other parts of the body but getting it to be effective on UC has been difficult. In fact the same lead scientist Zhang Wang, who published the study on GDNPs, has been working on delivery systems for curcumin and its use in UC. This may be why he turned to ginger, because when the ginger is pulverized in the blender, the lipids are freed and absorb the 6-gingerols/6-shogaols. The lipids actually allow the compounds to pass through the cellular barriers acting as the natural delivery system that curcumin lacks. This is the truly novel element of GDNPs, getting the 6-gingerols/6-shogaols into your inflamed colon cells to trigger anti-inflammation.
Ok, enough science talk, what did you do?I thought that I would have to isolate the nanoparticles like in the study, but my friend who is familiar with the field of study pointed out that the use of a centrifuge was simply to prove how the GDNPs were working in the mice. In fact my friend said all I needed was a blender and cheesecloth. I happened to have an older Breville Juice Fountain Elite in a closet when I went through a juicing phase, which does both at the same time; it shreds the ginger to itty bitty pieces and spins them through a basket using the centrifugal force to separate the juice from the pulp. The goal is to pulverize the ginger, then extract the juices. Whatever you have at home will do the job as long as it pulverizes and separates the juices, this is just what I had. As far as I understand it, the blending process is what frees the lipids from the solids and allows the gingerols to bond. This is why you have to pulverize it. If you want to blend it and squeeze it through a coffee filter, it’s probably the exact same result. I will warn that ginger is very fibrous so expect your filter to get clogged quickly. My blade/filter basket is only good for a single branch of ginger until it’s too clogged with fibers to continue shredding and filtering.
How do you drink that nonsense?Gingerols are like capsaicin in peppers, it’s spicy! I mix 50 to 100 ml of juice extract with warm water and a large serving of honey. It’s important to note that 6-gingerols becomes 6-shogols, which is a different compound, when heated above 70°c. You can read more in the link about
“Chemisthesis” linked below. I suggest keeping it below 70°c to preserve the 6-gingerols. It’s spicy, yes. I stick to no more than 3-4ml of juice per oz of water.
Ok, but what did it do for you?I can’t understate the effect it’s had, better than steroids. I am completely normal since the first week of drinking this juice and have started to forget what it was like with UC. I have an endoscopy scheduled later this month marking its 6 month period to prove its effect since my doctor is supportive but understandably skeptical. I am not currently on any medication, supplements, or dietary restrictions. I do stay away from lactose and beer, but that’s because I’m lactose intolerant and beer has wood compounds in it that I’m allergic to. However, I’ll eat a whole pizza, get some big ol’ gas bubbles, and not one pain! Just wow! One tiny gas bubble used to make me stop in my tracks and try not to curl up in a ball. I’ve gotten sick a couple times in the last 6 months, where everyone in the house got the crud and the runs, and I went back to normal same as everyone else when the illness resolved. I can’t say it enough, I have learned what “normal” feels like again. I have a BM once every other day, which is what I used to do before UC. It’s amazing.
Yeah, it’s probably just placebo.I've put my faith behind a lot of things in the past. I did not expect this to work as well as it has.
What about supplements? Ginger is gross.I’m sorry but supplements are made of dried ginger and 6-gingerol turns to 6-shogol when dried. It is not well understood if 6-shogols have the same effect as 6-gingerols on UC. You might be able to make your own juice-filled capsules at home to swallow, but I have no experience with that, and the alkalinity of ginger may dissolve the capsule before you swallow it. I do NOT advise getting straight undiluted juice in your mouth, it is NOT fun.
Further discussion The mice used in the study were bred for susceptibility but are actually chemically induced with UC. Also, it’s not proven that mice models always transfer to people. Everyone’s “cause” of UC is different and therefore their “cure” is going to be different too. On a different note: Zhang Wang is seriously dedicated to treating UC with novel ways that are cheap and natural. You should include him on your holiday card list this year.
DisclaimersI am an idiot on the internet, please do not take my words as fact, do your own research and consult with your doctor. Ginger is a strong alkaline and can mess with your body’s acidic balance, which is very life-critical system, like you can die critical. If you have pre-existing conditions this can further complicate things. Ginger can thin the blood as well as affect the lining of the stomach. If you are taking medication for stomach ulcers or acid reflux, it’s strongly advised not to consume ginger products. Too much ginger can cause serious health complications. Please consult with your doctor before acting on anything you’ve read here.
News story
/phys.org/news/2016-08-lab-team-ginger-nanoparticles-inflammatory.htmlPublished study
/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27318094Curcumin–piperine mixtures in self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for ulcerative colitis therapy
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378517315004184Combination Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: Orally Targeted Nanoparticles Prevent Mucosal Damage and Relieve Inflammation
/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5135446/Chemesthesis: Chemical Touch in Food and Eating
/books.google.com/books?id=y5dmCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA195&lpg=PA195&dq=shogaols+70%C2%B0C&source=bl&ots=cJ2uY4IxST&sig=T2EKhIN0EMMkrjwV9mmgUNz8EFQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEg8P3-fDUAhUk6IMKHSoZD-4Q6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q=shogaols%2070%C2%B0C&f=false**Update** October 2017: I had a scope recently and my doc reports good results. The lower half where all previous scopes had shown severe inflammation has been reduced to mild. The upper has been reduced from sever to moderate. It's the first documented case in years that my scope has been more favorable than the previous, and this was in a 6 month period.
I have been getting lazy with drinking the tea, maybe once a week. To be honest, I feel like I should probably be drinking it every three days. I have also reduced my intake to 30-50 ML and mixing it with honey and lactose free milk with it to cut the burn.
Post Edited (simplys) : 10/18/2017 2:13:19 PM (GMT-6)