![Systemic lupus erythematosus: effective ginger for improving symptoms?](https://img.passeportsante.net/1000x526/2021-01-18/i99092-.jpeg)
According to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan in the United States, ginger may reduce symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus, also called systemic lupus erythematosus.
Definition: what is systemic lupus erythematosus?
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system races: instead of fighting bacteria and viruses, it creates antibodies that attack healthy tissue. As a result, it creates inflammation and pain. While it is likely to affect the entire population, it mainly concerns women of childbearing age, between 15 and 45 years old. It would affect ten times less the man than the woman. Lupus erythematosus is a flare-up, which means there are times when symptoms get better and others when they get worse. In France, this pathology affects between 20,000 and 40,000 people. It is not contagious.
What are the symptoms ?
Symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Usually, the skin is affected first and then, depending on the course of the disease, other organs may be affected. The most frequent manifestations are: skin lesions of the butterfly-shaped “red patches” type, located around the eyes, on the nose and cheekbones; headaches or even a mild fever, shortness of breath, joint pain or canker sores in the mouth. If the causes of this condition remain poorly understood, genetic and hormonal factors could come into play. In addition, stress, exposure to the sun and pregnancy would tend to trigger or even amplify this phenomenon.
Fresh ginger, an ingredient to reduce symptoms
Renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties, ginger has long been used in many chronic diseases. Researchers at the University of Michigan in the United States have found that 6-gingerol, a molecule naturally present in ginger, reduces inflammation, and therefore the immune mechanism that causes lupus. To reach this conclusion, the scientists worked on a group of mice. “In summary, this study is the first to demonstrate the protective role of compounds derived from ginger in the context of lupus, and above all provides a potential mechanism for these effects via the inhibition of phosphodiesterase and the attenuation of hyperactivity of the neutrophils. “, Conclude the authors of the study, the results of which were published in the journal JCI Insight.