Super supplement for vagal afibbers???

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) has been cultivated for medicinal and culinary purposes for 2500 years. It has been used for a wide array of ailments including arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, muscular aches, pains, sore throats, indigestion, hypertension and nausea (more than 1500 scientific articles about ginger are listed on MEDLINE). It is now generating considerable excitement within the cardiology community. Recent research has shown that ginger exhibits strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and effectively inhibits platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid. Ginger also has significant fibrinolytic activity and exhibits calcium channel-blocking activity similar to that of verapamil. Of special interest to the afib community, especially vagal afibbers, is the finding that ginger stimulates the release of adrenaline and increases the strength of the heart beat.

Vagal afibbers often experience their episodes when resting or digesting a heavy meal; in other words, when the parasympathetic (vagal) arm of the autonomic nervous system is dominant. It is conceivable that ingesting ginger an hour or so before bedtime may increase sympathetic (adrenergic) response through adrenaline release and thus prevent episodes that come on when the “head hits the pillow”. There is also some indication that ginger may be helpful in preventing ectopics (PACs and PVCs) so if your “vulnerable period” is late afternoon, after dinner and at bedtime you may wish to try supplementing with ginger at lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Ginger can be consumed as a tea made from freshly ground ginger root or in supplement form.

NewChapter (the manufacturer of Zyflamend) provides an excellent ginger supplement (Ginger Force) extracted from ginger grown on their own organic farm in Costa Rica. It is available in the afibbers.org online vitamin shop [www.afibbers.org]. Incidentally, you can also make a very nice cup of ginger tea by emptying the content of a capsule of Ginger Force in a cup of freshly boiled water. It is sometimes difficult to find organically grown ginger in supermarkets and health food stores. Using NewChapter’s Ginger Force ensures that your tea is organic.

If you do try Ginger Force please let us know the results.

REFERENCES
Nicoll, R and Henein, MY. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a hot remedy for cardiovascular disease? International Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 131, No. 3, January 2009, pp. 408-09
Ali, BH et al. Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): A review of recent research. Food and Chemical Toxicology, February 2008, pp. 409-20.
Shukla, Y and Singh, M. Cancer preventive properties of ginger: A brief review. Food and Chemical Toxicology, May 2007, pp. 683-90.

Hans

Thanks, Hans - I shall try buying fresh ginger root & grating it to make tea. I used to do this but got lazy. I used to make a batch & store it in a jar in the fridge. The squeezed out gratings can be incorporated into other recipes. The anti-inflammatory effects are of course also desirable for runners & other sporting people. Now I have the idea it could help my AF I shall be more motivated to take the trouble.

Further to my posting on ginger. The question has been raised: "Does ginger interact with warfarin?" I have looked into this and have the following to report:

I did not mention a possible interaction between ginger and warfarin because of this statement in the original article (International Journal of Cardiology) “Finally, ginger did not affect warfarin’s pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics when coadministered”. There is evidence that ginger causes an increase in fibrinolytic activity and a reduction in platelet aggregation so it is likely to to increase bleeding time – irrespective of whether the user is on warfarin or not.

A search of MEDLINE’s 22 million articles using the term “ginger and warfarin” brought up 17 citations. Of these 5 provided specific information about a possible interaction between warfarin and ginger. Conclusions were:

• Feverfew, garlic, Ginkgo, ginger, and ginseng may alter bleeding time and should not be used concomitantly with warfarin sodium (1998). NOTE: No actual clinical data was presented to support this conclusion.

• Ginger had no significant effects on coagulation parameters or on warfarin-induced changes in blood coagulation, indicating that it did not interact with warfarin. (2000 – Animal experiment).

• Evidence is lacking for an interaction of warfarin with garlic or ginger (2000).

• Ginkgo and ginger did not affect the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of warfarin in healthy subjects (2006)

• Consumption of coenzyme Q10 or ginger appears to increase the risk of (self-reported) bleeding. NOTE: twenty-one per cent of the test population had an INR above normal range. (2007).

The consensus would seem to be that ginger does not interact with warfarin and does not affect INR. However, the increase in fibrinolytic activity and reduction of platelet aggregation may lead to an increase in bleeding time (reducing risk of clot formation). NOTE: Increasing bleeding time is the reason for prescribing aspirin and anticoagulants so presumably would be desirable for afibbers.

Nevertheless, vigilance is advised if you are on antiplatelet agents (aspirin, Plavix) or anticoagulants (warfarin, Pradaxa, etc.).

Hans



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2012 01:25PM by Hans Larsen.

Would ginger be OK for a guy that's taking Nattokinase and in permanent Afib?

As I mentioned in response to Nancy’s request for ginger root tea recipe in the Inflammation thread, I make ginger root tea regularly and love not only the taste but the benefits and have done this for many years.

There are many useful forms to take advantage of the multiple benefits from of ginger root, Zingiber officinale. In addition to root tea and capsules is the liquid, therapeutic grade (steam distilled) Ginger Essential Oil extract which has a high ORAC rating - 992,571 (TE/L). Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). Raw ginger root is rated 14,840 μ mol TE/100g. Consuming foods high in ORAC ratings is considered highly beneficial practice. It’s the volatile oils in ginger that offer the most therapeutic benefits - The important active components of the ginger root are the volatile oils which or phenol compounds such as gingerols and shogaols.

In addition to the anti-inflammatory benefits of ginger, not only is ginger helpful with GERD and IBS symptoms. It has recently been shown to inhibit proliferation of H.pylori… definitely all can be contributors to arrhythmia.

Ginger helps with delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis) associated with IBS and GERD, diabetes and Parkinson’s since is stimulates gastric contractions and reduces food/bowel transit time.

The strong anti-inflammatory effects of ginger have been found helpful in rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.

Ginger also helps diabetics. The gingerols, which are the main active components in ginger, act as an aldose reductase inhibitor. Aldose reductase is an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of glucose to sorbitol. Sorbitol can accumulate in many tissues that are insulin insensitive such as the eyes’ lens and peripheral nerves which can then lead to tissue damage, subsequently causing neuropathy and blindness.

Ginger is being explored for anti-cancer properties both as a preventive and an active therapeutic. Ginger has been shown to inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL 1β, IL- 6 and interferon-γ ) that contribute to carcinogenesis by influencing the survival, growth, mutation, proliferation, differentiation and movement of tumor cells. Ginger has been shown repeatedly to inhibit cytokine gene expression in various forms of cancer while increasing cancer cell apoptosis.

Another mechanism of action in ginger’s activity against cancer is its antioxidative qualities. Ginger increases the endogenously produced antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) and also decreases lipid peroxidation in animas with liver cancer

In breast cancer, ginger down-regulates precancerous pathways including Bc1-X and Mc1-1 two protein molecules that help prevent cell death.

In lung cancer, Ginger has been shown to override a mutation in the Myc oncogene which causes cancer cells to divide uncontrollably. While the Myc oncogene has been a prospective target for drug therapies, it has proven difficult due to lack of efficient binding sites for drug compounds.

Ginger root extract shows potential for colon cancer prevention.

Ginger also has powerful anti-emetic effects found useful in nausea during chemotherapy.

Jackie

References

Designs for Health Research and Education News
by Michel Fuhrman, D. C. – October 2012

[www.umm.edu]

[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[www.cancernetwork.com]

Ted - I use an an abundance of ginger root tea and take nattokinase as well. I don't have any adverse bleeding problems, although if I have a cut, it bleeds freely...but always clots in normal time.

Jackie

Thanks Jackie and Hans - ginger sounds like great stuff. I made some tea this afternoon with some valarian root mixed in - Tasted good and settled my stomach as well. Calms me down too. Thanx again.

HI
I tried several cups of ginger tea made from fresh ginger in hopes that it would slow my heart rate.
No such luck.
After several hours I took my nightly dose of metoprolol instead.

John C

John,

Thank you for sharing your experience. Ginger will not slow the heart rate, quite the contrary. That is why it might be suitable for vagal afibbers whose nighttime episodes are associated with a too low heart rate. Taking ginger if you are already in afib is definitely not recommended as it will make your heart beat more forceful and thus make your episode more symptomatic. Ginger would also be contraindicated for adrenergic afibbers and may or may not be benficial for mixed afibbers.

Hans

I have received a couple of e-mail messages on this subject which may be of interest:

I just read your report "The Importance of Potassium". I have had 18-20 episodes of fast AF presumed vagal since 2006. No Doctor here in the UK has even considered that at average 3.4 on admission my potassium may be to low for the kind of stressful career I pursue, all other blood tests are mid range normal level. Not one Doctor I have spoke to and there must be getting on for 20 now in various A&E's has even attempted any advice on prevention. Now all I hear is Ablation therapy.

My symptoms happen exactly as you describe before the attack takes full hold.
1. After an evening meal, abdominal jolts
2. At circa 3:00 am when sleeping, waking up with a severe jolt.

Before reading your report I always thought I had an abdominal problem, which woke me up. Now I realise that this is the Ectopic/PVT's that precede a full AF attack. I have never had an attack in the morning. From my GP ALL I have ever got is a shrug. Now I understand what may be going on I will take action myself. Thanks.

I also started taking raw root ginger before meals, just a dime size slice, and for 2 years - no attack. I recently moved home and got out of this habit and have had 6 attacks since August 2012. All successfully cardioverted by Flecinaide IV 150mg. Betas always make the problems much worse, once 2.5 days out of Sinus Rhythm. Obviously the fear is someone gives them to me when I am in a foreign country and finishes me off! I am 58 and fit as a 40 year old normally! I appreciate your efforts to shine some light on a problem that seems totally ignored in our NHS system. Good luck!
LL.


I found the opposite, taking or eating ginger caused surges of adrenaline while going to bed resulting in spikes and pre-pulse triggers that could have caused to trip into afib. So, as far as your tests are concerned, I see no reason to "stimulate the release of adrenaline" since this will cause possible flip into afib.
LB

Hans