As some of ya’ll know, I’ve been self-experimenting with Ginger Root for some months now for maximization of midlife body recomposition. (Dried Ginger Root, though hotter and somewhat more stimulating than the fresh root, is overall classified as gentle - including for both children and the elderly). Ginger is technically a superfood - it has enzymatic actions, is massively anti-inflammatory, reduces cortisol, prevents insulin spikes, and has a positive effect on stubborn belly fat long term among other things. It’s also a carminative/gas-moving herb (the focus of this post, lol).
In eastern medicine, the topic of one’s bowels’ behavior is a significant part of discussion w/ one’s healthcare provider, as it conveys so much about core absorption, immunity, vitality, etc. In a typical appointment with a chinese medicine doctor or ayurvedic physician, you might spend 5 minutes chatting about very specific qualities of your bowel movements in fact! And in western functional medicine, it’s also focused on, but usually not in typical non-functional medicine.
ANYHOOooo… As many of us know, keto is known for greatly reducing and/or eliminating the methane gas farting of excess gut fermentation due to reduction of sugars/carbs, etc. But there ARE other kinds of “gas” that are mostly carbon dioxide - and not congestive, painful, or stinky like Stilton cheese or a swamp giant…
Once I upped my dosage to 4 caps a day (2.2 grams of Ginger, which is only a moderate, not high, dosage used in a few published studies - and some larger bodied folks can go up to 6 caps a day, 3.3 gms without excess) - and in keeping my usual ketogenic eating fare - I noticed I’ve been having one or two non-methane/not-smelly type, silent, large “exhalation” or wind gust per day - usually in the morning.
In other words, efficacious intestinal gas, which can apparently be a form of carbon dioxide release from the gut.
As students of lipolysis know, through complex and amazing processes, what the body does is transforms lipids into carbon dioxide - which is mostly focused on in terms of upper respiratory exhalations…Research suggests that fat cells — particularly abdominal fat cells — are biologically active. A Harvard Medical School article I recently read about visceral fat explained it this way: "It’s appropriate to think of fat as an endocrine organ or gland, producing hormones and other substances that can profoundly affect our health."
My hunch is that Ginger is expediting some great healing processes in and around my 30 feet of intestines, and that the downward carbon dioxide is another sign of expedited fat burning - whether generalized intestinal visceral fat or having to do with subcutaneous belly fat I do not know exactly. My measurements have scarcely changed, but I “viscerally” feel more compact - as if non-obvious bloating I didn’t even know I had has gone and greater digestive functioning is happening.
At 9 months in to keto - though I was prepared to accept slower digestion that many keto-ers report, with Ginger’s help I’ve returned to my previous regular twice a day BMs - which is considered very healthy in eastern medicine (though early in keto I had a range of strange digestion including constipation and turtles). The difference is that with regular Ginger the bowel movements are very efficacious/quick - no waiting for Godot, etc (for those who may not know, “Waiting for Godot” is a play by the Irish Samuel Beckett, in which two characters wait for the arrival of someone named Godot… who never arrives!). Ginger is reknown for increasing digestive strength and circulation, etc.
But it was only yesterday that I realized that the intestinal carbon dioxide could be another sign of fat burning… hmmm. 
thank you
