Ginger allergy T78.1

The ingredients shogaole and gingerole contained in ginger have an antiemetic and apparently also an immunosuppressive effect (see below).

In folk medicine (especially in Asian countries) ginger is widely used in the treatment of nausea, indigestion, colic, colds, coughs, flu, circulatory disorders of the extremities as well as externally for cramp-like pain, rheumatism, lumbago, menstrual problems, haematomas and sprains.

Allergic reactions to ginger have been described, particularly in the case of occupational exposure (Jäger L 2001). Schmidt J et al. described an occupational allergic rhinoconjunctivitis after ginger contact. Other authors, however, could demonstrate a suppressive effect of 6-Shogaol on the allergic bronchial asthma (Khan AM et al. 2015) and on the allergic contact dermatitis (Park G et al. 2016).

1. Khan AM et al (2015) Zingiber officinale ameliorates allergic asthma via suppression of Th2-mediated immune response. Pharm Biol 53:359-367.

2. Moneret-Vautrin DA et al (2002) Food allergy and IgE sensitization caused by spices: CICBAA data (based on 589 cases of food allergy). Allerg Immunol (Paris)34: 135-140.

   Park G et al (2016) 6-Shogaol, an active compound of ginger, alleviates allergic dermatitis-like skin lesions via cytokine inhibition by activating the Nrf2 pathway. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 310:51-59.

   Schmidt J et al (2015) Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis caused by occupational exposure to ginger. Ugeskr Laeger 6: 177.