Benefits of ginger

Everyone knows what ginger is. So I am not going to describe ginger. I shall concentrate on the benefits of ginger. If you really don’t know what ginger is, then just take a look at the photo on the right.

Ginger is one of those roots or appropriately called rhizomes which almost everyone knows of its medicinal benefits in one way or another. The most common medicinal usage amongst the Chinese is for post-natal nutrition. Newly given-birth mothers are served plenty of ginger in their meals during the first month after giving birth. Every dish is complemented with plenty of ginger, thinly sliced and also in shredded form. I think the mean reason is that ginger is great for dispelling stomach gas, and reducing bloating.

Another common usage of ginger is, as a refreshing drink. It is a common practice, again by the Chinese in my country to serve iced- ginger drink with brown sugar after a funeral procession. The ginger is crush whole, add brown sugar and water and plenty of ice; and wallah; you have the most potent tropical punch to quench your thirst and cool your body, after a sweaty walk in the procession.

In our country we have “ginger beer”. It is actually not a beer, but aerated water with ginger essence. I don’t consider ginger beer as “health” drink. It is one of those aerated water, or some called it carbonated drink or just “soft” drink, which would have tons of sugar added to it. Another name for it is ginger ale.

If you want a real herbal ginger drink then you can consider this. Crush a piece of ginger, steeped in hot water or boiling water, add pure honey with slices of orange or lime or lemon. This I call real herbal ginger tea!

A word of caution. As ginger promotes the production of bile, people suffering from gallstones should avoid eating it.

In Chinese cooking, ginger is used to neutralize unpleasant odour of certain ingredients especially fish. So for steamed fish, you will definitely see plenty of ginger slices or shredded ginger. This neutralizes the “fishy” smell. You can consider ginger as a spice. That’s why you can buy ginger in powder form. In fact when I bake certain cakes, I use ginger powder.

I always have two types of ginger “candy” in my home. One with icing sugar, and the other with spice powder. The ginger is sliced into thin slices, and then mixed with icing sugar or special spices. I just nibble them, especially when watching tv. Ginger has a sialagogue reaction which stimulates the flow of saliva.

Of course there are many varieties of ginger “candy” in different countries. In China, many varieties of ginger candies are packed in candy boxes. In the Philippines, ginger is called “luva” and is used for sore throat and hoarse voice. In Japan, ginger is made into a candy called “shoga no satozuke”. In Korea, the indispensable “Kimchi” has minced ginger in it.

Ginger contains anti viral, anti toxic, antihistamine, anti inflammatory and anti fungal properties. Below are the many medicinal benefits of ginger:

• Ginger treats common cold.
• Ginger with its anti inflammatory property, can treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other muscular disorders.
• Ginger relieves nausea.
• Ginger treats allergies.
• Ginger aids digestion.
• Ginger prevents cramps.
• Ginger relieves constipation.
• Ginger helps lower cholesterol level.
• Ginger prevents formation of blood clots.
• Ginger stimulates blood circulation.
• Ginger relieves migraine headache.
• Ginger relieves toothache.
• Ginger relieves fever.
• Ginger as breath freshener.
• Ginger as mood enhancer, helps reduce stress.
• Ginger helps prevent cancer and aging disorder.

The information provided in this article is sourced from the internet, from friends and contacts, and from personal experience. As I cautioned in my article, not every remedy will work on everyone. So is conventional medical treatment. It very much depends on the constituents of the person and the conditions peculiar to that person. Whatever the reasons, this article does not claim the information provided is totally accurate and reliable and will cure everyone. The purpose of this article is merely to inform visitors that there are alternative cures for all ailments.

You are therefore advised to consult your registered medical physicians as a matter of due diligence.

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