Ginger has been a renowned rhizome for more than two thousand years. When you take it as a tea it warms you from head to toe. The ancient Greeks adopted the herb as a stomach-soother and ate it wrapped in bread after big meals. Eventually, they began baking the ginger into the bread and invented gingerbread. However, Ginger can do more than perk up food and beverages as it has been proven to help with inhibiting melanogenesis, nausea, headaches, migraines, motion sickness and more. Now, Ginger may look like a root but botanically it is a rhizome, or underground stem.
Family: Zingiberaceae
Common name(s): Ginger, The hot root, Spicy weapon against nausea
Medicinal Parts: Rhizome
Organoleptic properties: hot, dry, relaxing
Phytoconstituents: Gingerol, Shogaol
Taste: pungent, aromatic
Chemical effects on human body: anti-inflammatory, rubefacient, emmenagogue, anticoagulant, antiemetic (anti-nausea), anti-motion sickness, thwart & prevent migraine headaches, destroys influenza viruses, relieves symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, replacement for NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug like aspirin and ibuprofen), appetite stimulant, warms cold hands & feet, helps dizziness, supports heart health, circulatory stimulant
Medicinal applications
❖ Freckle Reduction, Sun Spot Reduction. Daily consumption of fresh Ginger, or fresh oil-infused Ginger applied topically to affected area(s), provides inhibition of melanogenesis; the process of melanin production. Freckles are known to form as a result of an overproduction of melanin.
❖ Ginger, indeed, operates much like aspirin in blocking prostaglandin synthesis, leading to reduction in inflammation and pain. Prostaglandins are the body’s hormonelike substances that help control inflammatory responses, involving histamine, and pain (Carper 321).
❖ Cold & Chills. A fine tea to make when you feel cold, lack an appetite, or have cold hands and feet (Zak 131).
❖ Heart Health. Lowers cholesterol, stabilizes blood pressure and heart functions, helps prevent clotting, and reduces risk of heart attack and strokes (Zak 131).
❖ Nausea, Motion Sickness. A cup of ginger tea before you travel, or a gram or two of powdered ginger root about forty-five minutes before departure, will calm you all over (Zak 131) (Simons, et al. 117). And unlike drugs, it does not produce side effects, even drowsiness, because ginger does not work through the nervous system (Carper 135).
❖ Emmenagogue, warming and soothing for uterine cramping. Encourages blood flow when experiencing slow, scant menstrual flow (CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism.
❖ Topically, a rubefacient: stimulates blood flow to the skin and muscle where applied. Improves circulation, nourishing tissues and clearing away stagnant fluids, while reducing pain. Helpful for bruising, sprains, strains, and externally over the belly for indigestion and menstrual cramps
Harmony Tea
❖ A marvelous way to reap the benefits of ginger and moderate its heat is in a blend with peppermint. That way, the warming effect of ginger is tamed by the cooling effect of peppermint, for an exhilarating brew that also brings harmony (Zac 132).
Honey-Gingered Candy
❖ Peel fresh ginger and cut into bite sized chunks. Place in a glass jar and cover with honey for two - four weeks. The result is honey infused garlic and ginger candy which you can eat plain, bake with or put in your tea to name a few.
Resources
Prevention Magazine Editors. The Complete Book of Natural and Medicinal Cures.
Berkley, 1996.
Carper, Jean. Food - Your Miracle Medicine: How Food Can Prevent and Cure Over 100 Symptoms and Problems. New York, Harpercollins, 1993.
Hasselbring, Bobbie, et al. Before You Call the Doctor. National Geographic Books, 7 Feb. 1995.
Zak, Victoria. 20,000 Secrets of Tea. Random House Publishing Group, 2009.
“Ginger” CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism, online.commonwealthherbs.com/courses/take/materia-medica/pdfs/8924572-ginger-materia-medica-text-entry. Accessed 2 May 2023.
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