Ginger is classified as a herb which have been widely used as traditional medicine or spice in many cultures throughout the world. Ginger is often referred to as a root, but it is actually an underground stem (called rhizome).
Ginger is known to have more than twelve types of anti-oxidants, making it useful for treatment of many disorders. Like other spices, it has aphrodisiac properties and is used widely for medicinal purposes.
This herb contains essential oils, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, choline, folate, inositol, manganese, panthotenic acid, silicon, and a small amount of vitamin B3.
History of Ginger:
that ginger has been used in China for over 2,000 years to help digestion and treat diarrhea, nausea and stomach upsets.
The Mahabharata (circa 4th century BC), one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, describes a stewed meat meal which includes ginger. Ginger has also been a key plant in Ayurvedic medicine, a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent.
Approximately 2000 years ago, ginger was exported from India to the Roman empire, where it became valued for its therapeutic as well as culinary properties.
Ginger continued to be traded in Europe after the fall of the Roman empire, where its supply was controlled by Arab traders for hundreds of years. During medieval times it became a popular ingredient in sweets.
During the 13th and 14th centuries ginger and black pepper were commonly traded spices. By the sixteenth century one pound in weight of ginger in England would cost the equivalent of one sheep.
Anti-coagulant: Add ginger in most of your cooking or add a teaspoonful of young ginger juice in your beverages to enjoy the anticoagulant properties of ginger. It helps make blood platelets less sticky which in turn reduces your risk of atherosclerosis.
Cold: Cut up a small piece of old ginger and boil it with a small cup of pure drinking water. Add some green tea leaves if you wish. Strain and drink when hot. Effective if you also have fever resulting from the cold. You may also drink this concoction if you feel a cold coming.
Cough: Drink ginger juice with raw honey three to four times a day for a bad throat. It is soothing and helps clear up phlegm. If it’s a dry cough, use the young ginger. If there is phlegm, use the old ginger.
Soothes the digestive system
Ginger improves the digestive system, stimulates, helps in the absorption of nutrients, absorbs gases and toxins and helps the skin to release toxins
Reduces nausea and vomiting
Recent studies show that ginger is very effective in preventing nausea, especially seasickness. Ginger has a great effect that has been proven to be very effective in preventing vomiting during pregnancy. Compared with conventional drugs that may harm the foetus, ginger is completely safe to use without side effects and you need a relatively small amount of it.
Mix a teaspoonful of young ginger juice with one teaspoonful each of fresh lime juice and fresh mint juice with some honey to taste in a glass of water. Drink to relieve heartburn, indigestion, nausea and vomiting. Especially helpful after a big meaty meal.
Anti-inflammatory
If you suffer from arthritis pain in the knees, consuming ginger on a daily basis can definitely help. Ginger contains powerful anti-inflammatory substances called gingerols. These have been tested in various research of rheumatic diseases such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The participants in the research reported a gradual reduction of pain, improving agility and movement and reduction in swelling when using ginger regularly.
Float some ginger essential oil in your bath to help aching muscles and joints.
Slice a piece of ginger into disks and boil it with a big glass of water. Add a piece of cinnamon bark, bring to boil and then cover it for about half an hour till it turns to golden color. Drink it to relieve fatigue when recovering from fever. It also relieves muscle pain and soreness.
Protects against colon cancer
These gingerols, the main active ingredient in ginger, that are also responsible for the special taste, may prevent the growth of colon cancer cells, according to a 2003 study. This study showed that ginger is effective in preventing and treating colon cancer.
Kills ovarian cancer cells
Studies at the University of Michigan showed that gingerols also cause death to ovarian cancer cells. The ginger ingredients have been proven to have antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and anti- cancer properties. Ginger has the ability to reduced inflammatory in cell components attributed to the development of ovarian cancer, as well as components responsible for cell proliferation and distribution. Conventional chemotherapy treatments do the same action, but may cause the cancer cells to develop immunity against drugs.
Stimulates the immune system
Ginger not only warms us on a cold day, but it can also help in causing healthy sweating which is good to reduce fever in colds and flu. This sweating can stimulate the immune system and help the body cope better with the disease. German researchers recently found that the sweat triggers substances in the immune system that help fighting against various infections.
Menstruation disorder: Pound a piece of young ginger and boil with a cup of water and add a little honey to taste. Drink it hot two or three times a day for a month. The pain-relieving and anti-cramping compounds in ginger effectively help relieve painful menstruation cramps (dysmenorrhoea). In the absence of menstruation in women in the reproductive age (amenorrhoea), this concoction can also help induce menstruation.
Haven’t been feeling hungry? Eat fresh ginger just before lunch to stoke a dull appetite and fire up the digestive juices
Can’t stop the toot-a-thon? Gas—oops—guess what?! Ginger helps reduce flatulence!
Tummy moaning and groaning under cramps? Munch on ginger.
Ginger juice for hair care:
If you want to have long and shiny hair, you should consume ginger juice regularly. It can also be applied on the scalp for good results. Just make sure that when you are applying it to your scalp, the consistency of water should be less. Ginger acts as a good conditioner to your hair; it also helps to reduce dandruff and speeds up hair growth. When ginger juice is applied to your hair, it creates irritation on your scalp which stimulates the flow of blood.
Acne:
Ginger juice when consumed helps reduce acne or pimples and it also prevents occurrence of acne in the future as it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
