could help symptoms of
functional dyspepsia
excessive fullness

Writing for the New York Times column, ASK: We Put it to The Experts, to the question, ” … is ginger really effective at soothing various stomach ailments?”, Ms. Melinda Wenner Moyer writes:

There is little research on how ginger may help with more acute cases of nausea, such as those from stomach bugs, hangovers or motion sickness. And little is known about ginger’s effectiveness with other stomach ailments like indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome.

One small study from 2023 did conclude, however, that it could help with symptoms of functional dyspepsia, a type of chronic indigestion. Participants reported improved heartburn, upper abdominal pain and burning, and excessive fullness after eating.

I can only say that Ms. Moyer is not from Michigan nor is she dutch or she would have heard Vernor’s (AKA Dutch Alka Seltzer) and included it in her column on whether or not ginger helps in cases of excessive fullness after eating.

I do have to ask, what is excessive fullness after eating?

Excessive fullness?

Only in America.

Long a staple in my family’s medical arsenal when I was growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it was a remedy I introduced my kids to as well.

For the winter vomiting or stomach flu or after big meals, ‘a small glass of Vernor’s please’ was the prescription.

For a long time, Vernor’s, like Cheerwine here in South Carolina where I now live, was only available in Michigan and for a long time only in the Detroit area.

My Dad remember driving to Detroit with his Dad so this must have in the 1920s and 30s, and stopping at the Vernor’s plant on Woodward Drive.

At that time, the company maintained a soda fountain in the front lobby of their building and my Grandfather enjoyed stopping for a ‘Boston Cooler’ which was a float with Vernor’s and Vanilla Ice Cream.

The recipe for a Boston Cooler is one of those IYKYK things.

I once found myself on the “entertainment” committee of a company I worked for and was asked for a different way to celebrate birthday day (where once a month all birthdays were celebrated) and I suggested making Boston Coolers.

I interject, but HOW do people get on these ‘entertainment’ committees? In my case it was punishment because the email request had gone out for volunteers to be on the committee and as I walked around the company, if I found a computer at an empty desk where the owner had forgot to close out their computer, I used their email to volunteer that person for the committee. Had I been satisfied with one or two, I might have got away with it but after about the 10th time, I got caught and I was told I was now on the committee forever. And a memo went out reminding folks to log out of their computer if they left their desk. But I digress.

The Boston Cooler idea was adopted but the person in charge of getting the supplies was clueless and came back with Canadian Dry Ginger Ale and then got snippy when I got snippy.

They were awful by the way.

Vernor’s once produced a commercial with Detroit’s own Mystery Novel Man of Letters, Elmore Leonard playing himself.

He sat at his typewriter, typing out a typical Elmore Leonard descriptive scene.

Next to the typewrite on the table is an empty glass and a can of Vernors.

He narrates in his mind has he types and it goes something like this …

“They sat at the table. He looked at her. She reached over and poured a glass of Vernor’s. He reached and drank. It tasted like ….”

And Leonard stops.

He can’t think how to describe it …

He takes the can, opens it, pours, drinks, looks off to the side and thinks ….

Then he sets the glass down and types, “It tasted like Vernor’s.”

Then the tagline came up in text over the picture “… It’s what we drink around here.”

To this day my kids love to introduce new users to Vernor’s.

They open a bottle, pour out a glass and slide it over to the newbie and we all laugh and laugh as the newbie experiences their first ‘Vernor’s Wheeze’ as the pungent ginger bubbles go up the newbie’s nose.

When planning Thanksgiving Dinners, my kids all know to make sure Vernor’s is on hand.

I am happy to say that global trading and container shipping and what not has made Vernor’s readily available here in the southland.

Ms. Moyer goes on to write:

Although ginger in any form is generally considered to be safe, Dr. Crichton said, people who take medications including blood thinners, immunosuppressants and blood pressure or diabetes drugs should check with a doctor before consuming ginger regularly. Although serious side effects are rare, people may find that they burp more after consuming it.

Burp after a slug of Vernor’s?

That’s part of the fun, isn’t it?

Ms. Moyer closes with:

That said, ginger has few side effects and is supported by some science, Dr. Forman said — it’s “a valuable arrow to keep in the therapeutic quiver.”

Vernor’s.

A valuable arrow to keep in the therapeutic quiver.

We knew that a long time ago.

It’s what we drink around here.

Here is another commercial from the series. (I can’t find the Elmore Leonard one 😦 ).

BTW: Petr Klima was famous as the Detroit Req Wings coaching staff snuck him out over/under the wire from behind the Iron Curtain back in the day.