Black Ginger Fermented

A research study revealed that a K. parviflora extract may protect against gastric ulcers.1 Other research has shown an antiviral effect for flavones derived from K. parviflora.2 And in a comparison of extracts and oils of 6 Zingiberaceae plants, an ethanolic extract of K. parviflora exhibited the most potent anti-allergic activity.3

In 2008, researchers in Thailand reported that 4 weeks of an orally administered alcohol extract of K. parviflora led to a significant increase in the blood flow to the testes of rats and a decrease in the time required to mount and ejaculate.4 Subsequent investigation utilizing rats rendered diabetic by the administration of a chemical compound found an increase in sperm density and recovery of sexual behavior after K. parviflora treatment.5

Early research revealed that an extract of K. parviflora rhizomes relaxed contracted aortic rings and ileum tissue derived from rats, indicating a potential to support healthy blood vessels.6 In rats that received the extract orally for 4 weeks, K. parviflora was found to decrease oxidative stress and increase the bioavailability of nitric oxide (a molecule used by the inner lining of the blood vessels known as the endothelium to signal the surrounding smooth muscle to relax).7 Other research has demonstrated that K. parviflora rhizome improves blood fluidity.8 K. parviflora was also shown to increase the production of nitric oxide in human endothelial cells. This, according to the researchers involved in the investigation, represents a great potential for its use to promote vascular endothelial health.9

It has been determined that K. parviflora extract’s positive effects on nitric oxide signaling in the heart are similar to those of sildenafil citrate (Viagra).10 Sildenafil citrate acts by inhibiting phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), an enzyme that promotes the degradation of cGMP, which regulates penile blood flow), and 7-methoxyflavones from K. parviflora have been demonstrated to inhibit this enzyme. “This finding provides an explanation for enhancing sexual performance in the traditional use of Kaempferia parviflora,” the authors remark.11

And indeed, a study published in 2012 in which men whose age averaged 65 years were given one of two doses of K. parviflora rhizome extract or a placebo for two months resulted in a significant improvement in erectile function among men who received the higher dose of K. parviflora.12

Endothelial dysfunction is at the center of the shared pathology between the two conditions. K. parviflora has been used to support cardiovascular and male sexual health, and research has shown that it also supports endothelial function.6,7