Nutrition Q&A
with Dan Lukaczer, N.D.
Question:
Is there anything to the claims that ginger treats motion sickness?
Answer:
There has in fact been some research on ginger's ability to prevent motion sickness. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) contains a variety of pungent compounds such as gingerol and shogaol as well as enzymes and antioxidants. The pungent compounds are thought to be the herb's most pharmacologically active components.
Ginger was first shown to treat motion sickness in a 1982 trial that showed 1 g of dried ginger was more effective than a typical 100-mg dose of Dramamine.1 In a later follow-up, double-blind trial, 1 g of ginger given to naval cadets sailing in heavy seas reduced their vomiting and cold sweats. Ginger worked best in this case when taken four hours before sailing.2
The ideal composition and strength of preparations are still undetermined, but I recommend including ginger in a travel kit.
Question:
Is it advisable to give a child ginkgo for short-term memory and concentration problems?
Answer:
I am not aware of any studies with children and ginkgo. ginkgo biloba extract causes minimal side effects in adults. In rare cases, digestive upset, skin rashes and headaches have been reported. However, my feeling is that this may not be the best way to approach a child's problems.
Ginkgo appears to benefit memory because it dilates blood vessels in the brain and therefore increases blood flow. This is considered a problem only for adults, particularly for the elderly. A child is more likely to have other issues that are causing concentration problems. For instance, food allergies, blood sugar swings, nutrient deficiencies and exposure to toxins such as lead are always the first things I assess.
I suggest that parents who suspect their child has concentration problems consult a health care practitioner with experience in this area. A few good books on this subject include Is This Your Child's World? by Doris Rapp, M.D. (Bantam Books, 1997); No More Ritalin: Treating ADHD Without Drugs by Mary Ann Block, D.O. (Kensington Publishing, 1996); and The ADD Nutrition Solution—A Drug-Free 30-Day Plan by Marcia Zimmerman, C.N. (Henry Holt and Co., 1999).
Question:
Fish oils are good for a number of things, but what can I recommend for people who don't like fish?
Answer:
Much has been written about the cardiovascular, anticancer and immune-modulating effects of omega-3 oils found in cold-water fish. The main fatty acids in this family are alpha linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). DHA and EPA, found predominantly in fish, appear to have most of the beneficial effects attributed to omega-3 oils, although the body can convert ALA to both DHA and EPA.
This conversion, however, is not always predictable or efficient. Even in the best circumstances, most ALA is used for energy and only a fraction is converted. Figures I've seen suggest that only 10 percent of ALA is converted to EPA and even less to DHA. Foods high in ALA are certainly still worthwhile, but fish oils have the advantage of containing preformed DHA and EPA. The only vegetarian source of preformed DHA I am aware of is extracted from marine mircroalgae.
A number of vegetable oils contain significant amounts of ALA. The most well-known is flaxseed, which contains approximately 55 percent ALA. Flaxseeds can be ground and put on cereal or in a shake. They contain more than 20 percent ALA by weight and are a good source of omega-3. Although flaxseed is increasingly found in breads and baked goods, I prefer to eat flaxseed ground and raw, since heating flaxseed may affect its ALA content.
A few common oils with relatively abundant levels of ALA are easily incorporated into salad dressings. Nonhydrogenated soybean oil contains 5 to 10 percent ALA, canola oil contains up to 14 percent, and walnut oil is about 14 percent. Oils with some of the highest levels of ALA are not generally available in the United States; perilla oil, derived from the seeds of the mint plant (Perilla ocimoid), contains 60 percent ALA and can be found in Asian specialty stores.3
I'm concerned by the trend in the oilseed industry to genetically engineer low-ALA vegetable oils to increase their stability. In my clinical practice, I saw many people who suffered from low omega-3 fatty acid levels. If low-ALA oils become the predominant oils in our diet, this will exacerbate what I think is already a significant problem.
Dan Lukaczer, N.D., is director of clinical services at the Functional Medicine Research Center, a division of HealthComm International Inc., in Gig Harbor, Wash.
References
1. Mowrey D, Clayson D. Motion sickness, ginger and psychophysics. Lancet 1982;1:655-7.
2. Grontved A, et al. Gingerroot against seasickness—a controlled trial on the open sea. Acta Otolaryngol 1988;105:45-9.
3. Haumann B. Alternative sources for n-3 fatty acids. Inform 1998;9(12):1108-19.
