Asian societies have always prized ginger for its health properties. And consider it one of natures best has root for its wonderful always healing powers. Not only do they use ginger in curative medicines, but add it to many of their recipes.

Through out history famous world figures such as Henry the VIII revered the benefits of ginger. Believing ginger aided in preventing one from getting to the plague. This uses of ginger has not been substantiate, but it is very apparent that through out history ginger has been used for its powerful medicinal properties.

It is well thought that ginger, the pungent, aromatic spice, is a root? But actually it is an underground stem, from a tropical herb plant Zingiber officinale. This herb is primarily grown in India, Jamaica. It is also grown in China, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Australia. It grows best in tropical lowland and forests, requiring hot, humid, shady conditions, with a fertile loam that will provide a good amount of nutrients. Ginger has no season, but grows through out the year, as long as the weather conditions are stable.

The uses for ginger are many. You will not only find it ground and bottled in the spice section at the grocery store, but in the fresh produce department in its natural stem form. It is also widely used for it oil in spicy colognes, and soaps. One of it more recognizable uses, Ginger Ale. Ginger Ale is one of the oldest and well known soft drinks. Most of us will have memories of Ginger Ale being given to us as children, for an upset stomach.

A study on motion sickness done by ("The American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory") located in Salt Lake City. Results showed that ginger was compared to Dramamine, for relieving motion sickness. It was proven ginger had a significant benefit in their experiment with a controlled study. One group taking Dramamine the other ginger, the group that took the ginger withstood a spin test for 6 minutes, while the Dramamine group became nauseous within 4 1/2 minutes. So next time you fly, opt for Ginger Ale, if you have a problem with motion sickness or that unsettled stomach.

The proprieties in Ginger have shown to aid in lowering blood cholesterol. It is also is effective in thinning blood, which aid in dissolving blood clots (Study Conducted by Cornell University Medical College). Other curative benefits include: relieves menstrual cramps, decreases headache discomforts, helps to regulate blood sugar, anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, which aid to strengthen the immune system. Ginger is also high in both calcium and iron, so in turn helps with strong bones, and decreases adverse discomforts of arthritis. It is claimed that Ginger increases blood flow to the extremities, so helps with cold feet, and hands.

How much is too much? To get the benefits of Ginger, it is recommended to include 2-4 grams daily in your diet. There are many ways to get the required beneficial dose. From ginger snap cookies, to Chinese food, and let’s not forget Ginger ale. You can also eat raw or blanched Ginger or brew it up in tea. The tea is great to aid in relieving menstrual cramps, and headache. To use topically, oil of ginger can be rubbed into sore joint to provide pain relief. Ginger capsule can be purchased at your health food store, if you prefer to take Ginger in pill form. Ginger is not recommended for children under 2 years of age.

The American Herbal Products Association gives fresh ginger root safety rating of 1. This rate indicates that it is a safe to the general public with a wide dosage range. Side effects if taken in excessive doses may cause mild heartburn. It is recommended to consult with your doctor before using any Spice or herb.

By: Sharon Stajda

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More than just a delicious spice or food – discover the health benefits of ginger

Ginger, officially known as Zingiber officinale, is a wonderful spice prized for its taste and medicinal properties. This article will provide you with the incredible benefits of ginger, probably surprising by some.

Ancient Ginger Root

One of the things that make ginger so unique is that it has been used for more than 2,500 years by Chinese herbalists. Although often used for flavoring, the Chinese discovered ginger herb root could heal the body. As the popularity of ginger increased, the Greeks began using it to make bread, thus the creation of gingerbread, and colonists in North America found that by sipping ginger beer, an upset stomach was calmed. For that reason, one of the many benefit of ginger root is for nausea.

In fact, this root is incredibly effective as a digestive aid due primarily from the active ingredients shogaols and gingerols. Both of these natural components work by neutralizing stomach acids, enhancing secretion of digestive juices, and toning the digestive tract muscles. By ginger soothing the stomach, flatulence is often relieved. An excellent combination for treating flatulence is by mixing grated gingerroot and diluted lime juice.

Health Benefits of Ginger

To fully understand the benefits of ginger, let us break them down. First, for nausea, the problem with regular prescription anti-nausea drugs is that it works by going through the body’s central nervous system. Because of this, a person will often experience drowsiness, an unwanted side effect. With ginger, drowsiness is seldom a problem. Additionally, ginger has been shown to help with anesthesia reaction. Commonly, people undergoing surgery will wake up only to feel nauseated. In a controlled study, it was shown that by taking just one gram of ginger prior to surgery, the effects of the anesthesia were significantly less. However, most medical professionals prohibit ginger prior to surgery because it causes blood platelets to be less “sticky”, which can increase risk of bleeding.

Regardless, being able to control nausea has many benefits. For example, for the individual suffering from motion sickness, just one gram of powdered ginger taken daily can cut the incidences of vomiting and sweats. In fact, one of the benefits of ginger root specific to motion sickness is that it showed to provide a calming effect. The same is true for dizziness, which is a side effect often associated with motion sickness. With gingerroot, the level of dizziness is lessened.

Ginger and Its Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Another one of the health benefits of ginger has to do with chronic pain, a common complaint among millions of people. Since ginger contains an anti-inflammatory component, it can indirectly relieve pain by reducing inflammation. What happens is that prostaglandins, natural pain causing compounds, are reduced providing the person with pain relief. Interestingly, many professional massage therapists will use ginger oil for this very reason. For muscle and joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis or even individuals who play sports, one gram of powdered ginger taken daily can provide excellent relief.

Other health benefits of ginger include reducing symptoms associated with allergies, the common cold, and other respiratory problems. Because ginger is a natural antihistamine and decongestant, it can provide outstanding relief from these symptoms by dilating constricted bronchial tubes. As you can see, there are many benefits of ginger, many unknown. Because of the diversity of ginger, we highly recommend it be added to a person’s list of daily supplements.

Buying Ginger Supplements

When you buy ginger supplements, be sure they contain pungent compounds, again the shogaols and gingerols. Whether buying as powder, in crystallized form, extract in pill form, fresh gingerroot, or as tea, you will enjoy feeling better. You can even benefit from ginger by drinking eight ounces of ginger ale every day. Remember, just one gram makes a huge difference so you are not required to consume large amounts.

Finally, there are a few notes of caution associated with ginger. Pregnant women should not use ginger in treating nausea during the first trimester and for people with gallstones, large amounts of ginger should be avoided. Again, people going into surgery or those who bleed easily should avoid ginger as well since it can cause bleeding.

By: Oktay Ozadam

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