Benefits Of Ginger Root

Ginger is one of the most widely used herbs in the world. We use the root of a plant native to Asia but today cultivated in the West Indies, Jamaica, and Africa. Francisco de Mendosa introduced ginger to Spain in the early 1500's (and from there to the new world) but its value was known in the far east long before that.

Ginger is a perennial tuber that creeps and grows underground. The stalk grows two feet or more with narrow leaves. The stalk dies in the fall and the tuber is harvested, dried, and ground into the herb powder. Coated or black ginger means the root was not peeled but immediately scalded after harvesting. Uncoated or white ginger was washed and scraped to prevent sprouting. Since some think "the whiter the better," white ginger is at times bleached or limed but this causes it to lose some nutritional value.

Ginger's valuable nutrients include sulphur, resin, volatile oil (up to 3%), acrid soft lignin, starch, vegeto matter, gum, asmazone, potassium acetate, and acetic acid.

Ginger has been used in traditional Asian medicine to treat nausea. Pregnant women report relief from morning sickness after consuming small amounts of ginger root, ginger tea, and ginger ale. When given in large doses, ginger also relieves chemotherapy related nausea. Many find ginger more effective in relieving motion sickness than Dramamine. It will also stimulate appetite, fight body odor, and promote perspiration.

Ginger helps treat joint pain by stimulating blood circulation. For this reason it is used to treat illnesses such as Raynaud's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Externally ginger makes the skin red.

Often ginger is used in the treatment of indigestion, flatulence, menstrual cramps and diarrhea and relieves gastrointestinal distress. It is effective because it copies some digestive enzymes used to process protein in the body.

Ginger is good for the heart as well. Just five grams of dried ginger per day slows the production of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver. Ginger also hinders platelets from sticking together, thus decreasing the risk of stroke or heart attack.

Some recommend ginger for relief of cold symptoms since it will loosen phlegm in the throat and fight chills by spreading a warm feeling throughout the body. Many like to cook with ginger as a seasoning or drink it as a tea. One teaspoon of the powder in a gingersnap cookie recipe is prescribed.

Ginger is available in capsules, pickles, extracts, and prepared teas that can be made into compresses. The ginger root may also be consumed raw, but avoid small, wrinkled, or soft tubers. Steep ginger in hot water to make a tea, or just add it to a variety of dishes. The usual dosage is 1/3 of an ounce of fresh ginger root per day. Preserved Ginger is made by steeping the root in hot syrup. Store ginger root dry in your refrigerator for short periods. You can also freeze ginger root for up to three months.

A few cautions are in order. Since ginger helps thin the blood, don?t take it prior to surgery. Ginger may interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and dietary iron, and may actually cause an upset stomach if too much is taken. Those taking blood thinners, barbiturates, beta-blockers, insulin or diabetes medications should consult their doctor about ginger since it could conflict with these medicines. Ginger may stimulate uterine contractions so pregnant women should be careful how much ginger they ingest.