Ginger Root
Also known as- Zingiber officinalis
Introduction
Ginger is the most widely used and available herbal remedy on the planet,
with billions of people using it every day as both food and medicine. A
tropical perennial growing to a height of two feet, ginger has lance-shaped
leaves and bears stalks of white or yellow flowers.
Ginger has long been the subject of fable and literature. Fro centuries,
Europeans obtained ginger form Arab spice traders, who protected their sources
by inviting stories of ginger field located in lands stalked by a fierce people
called troglodytes. And Shakespeare wrote in LoveÍs Labour Lost, "ƒhad I
but one penny in the world thou shouldst have it to buy ginger-bread."
Ginger is used either fresh or dried in nearly two thirds of all traditional
Chinese and Japanese herbal formulas. Fresh ginger is used to relieve dryness
and heat, while dried ginger is used to relieve dampness and chill.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginger is said to "rescue devastated
yang," a condition in which invading cold or infection has reached the
interior of the body.
Ginger warms the energy channels and stops bleeding, especially uterine
bleeding. It is a detoxifier, and is always included in formulas with
potentially toxic herbs such as aconite, acorus, and pinellia.
Constituents
1,8-cineole, 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 8-shogaol, acetic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, alpha-phellandrene, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpinene, alpha-terpineol, arginine, ascorbic acid, beta-bisolene, beta-carotene, beta-pinene, beta-sitosterol, boron, caffeic acid, camphor, capsaicin, chlorogenic acid, curcumene, gingerols, sesquiphellandrene, zingiberene, resins, starches, fats, proteins.
Parts Used
Dried, peeled rhizome, chopped. Chopped ginger is used to treat
"wetter" conditions, such as treating or preventing infections, while
powdered ginger is used to treat "drier" conditions, such as allergy,
asthma.
Typical Preparations
Teas, tinctures, encapsulations, in herbal formulas, and in cooking. First-time users of ginger tend to use too much. To make ginger tea, simmer 3/4 teaspoon (0.5 to 1.0 grams) of chopped ginger in 1 cup of hot water for five minutes in a closed teapot. To treat asthma, use an alcohol-based tincture rather than a tea.
Summary
Scientists have found evidence to support gingers wide range of medicinal
actions. These actions include the lowering of cholesterol levels, relief for
allergies and asthma, arthritis, colds, and nausea; and protecting the
digestive tract and liver against toxins and parasites.
Ginger inhibits cholesterol production in the liver, which makes up to 85% of
the cholesterol in circulation in the blood stream. Ginger also decreases the
activity of plate-activating factor (PAF), a clotting agent that creates the
clot that can result in heart attack of stroke.
Gingers ability to reduce PAF activity also makes the herb effective against
allergies and asthma. PAF, which stimulates the inflammation seen in allergy
and the bronchial constriction seen in asthma becomes more active when fat is
consumed. Dried ginger, especially dried ginger tinctures, can offset this
effect. In a clinical trial in India,
the consumption of 5 grams (5 teaspoons) of dried ginger per day for seven days
reversed blood lipid elevation caused by daily consumption of 100 grams (3-12/
ounces) of butter.
Ginger relieves the pain of rheumatoid arthritis by stopping the immune systems
production of inflammatory leukotrienes.
Gingers effects against infection have also been confirmed by laboratory
science. One ginger compounds kills cold viruses at a concentration of less than
one part per million, a concentration to that found in raw ginger. Ginger
contains a chemical called zingibain that dissolves parasites and their eggs.
This antiparasitic effect is put to use preparing sushi.
Sushi is traditionally eaten with pickled ginger, and ginger extract have been
shown to kill the anisakid worm, a parasite sometimes carried in raw fish,
within sixteen hours. In addition, ginger tea effectively treats
schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease increasingly prevalent among tourists returning
to North America, Australia, and Europe
from lesser developed areas of the tropics.
Ginger can protect the lining of the stomach from alcohol damage, which
aggravate existing ulcers and promote the development of new ones.
Ginger is especially useful in small doses in pregnancy. Some babies are born
breech, that is, feet first instead of hear first. Chinese researcher report
that simply applying a ginger paste to a specific acupuncture point results in
a 77-percent correction of breech births, compared to a 52 percent correction
in women in the control group who had their babies turned manually. Ginger is
also an age-old remedy for morning sickness.
When used in herbal formulas, ginger protects the body from carcinogenic effects
of valproic acid (Depakote), a medication commonly prescribed for migraine and
seizure disorders.
Precautions
Although there are warning in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and some medical texts about use of ginger during pregnancy, ginger use din moderation, that is 3/4 teaspoon up to three times a day, poses no risk to motherÍs or babyÍs health. Studies in the late 1990Ís found that eating as much as 2 to 3 tablespoons of raw ginger or 5 to 8 tablespoons of dried ginger daily will not stimulate uterine contraction. Excessive use may cause gastro-intestinal upset.
