Benefits of Ginger

Ginger is packed with antioxidants and the main benefits we get from ginger can be attributed to the main oils (gingerols and shogaols ) and  compound zingerone. All three are credited for giving ginger its fragrance and strong pungent taste as well as some of the herb’s healing and medicinal properties.

Fresh ginger contains large amounts of gingerols but only a small concentration of shogaols. When ginger is cooked the heat lessens its strength and spiciness and converts the gingerols and shogaols into zingerone. 

Fresh ginger does not give off a strong pungent aroma or taste as when it’s dried. Fresh ginger is claimed by some to be the best to use since the dry form is not as strong in its therapeutic abilities as the fresh kind. 

There has been a lot of research done over the years on ginger and some of the findings confirm the herb to be effective in reducing motion sickness and to hold anti-inflammatory properties.

You can find many articles on the internet claiming ginger is ideal to treat diabetes (lowers blood sugar), assists in reducing feelings of nausea after chemotherapy, treats motion sickness including nausea in pregnant women, reduces inflammation due to osteoarthritis, etc. Such information can be damaging if followed without the advice of your health care provider/doctor. The University Of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) has an excellent article about ginger and the research that has been done to confirm some of its healing capabilities. For those of you who are interested in reading about these experiments you can do so here.

In ancient Indian Ayurveda ginger was a popular herb used to bring relief to coughs and colds as well as digestive and inflammatory problems. Today many of the same treatments are used as home remedies to treat these conditions not only in India but also in a few places in other parts of the world. 

Ingredients;

• ¼ piece of fresh ginger
• 1 cup hot boiling water
• 1 teaspoon honey

Method:

Finely chop the ginger into tiny pieces. Add into the cup of boiling hot water. Cover with saucer and steep for two minutes. Strain and stir in the honey and drink.

Take ginger tea for 3 to 5 days in the morning and at night before going to bed to treat coughs and coughs. The ginger and honey will help to loosen the mucous. 

Ingredients:

• 3 8” by 6” white flannel pieces or cheese cloth
• 2 8” by 6” clean white cotton fabric
• 100 grams fresh grated ginger /1 tablespoon ginger powder
• String
• water
• Steamer

Method:

First lay the white flannel pieces over each other so that there are three layers and then lay the 2 pieces of white cotton fabric on top. Place the ginger into the middle of the cloth and pull the sides of the fabric to the center and tie with a string.

Pour enough water to fill the steamer half full. Place the bag into the steamer, cover with lid and heat the water on medium-high and bring to boil. Remove the steamer from the fire and place in on a table/stool near the patient. Make sure the surface is covered with a few layers of newspapers to prevent it from getting burnt. Remove the lid and take out the bag. Place the bag on the inflamed muscle or joint and compress until there is no more heat left in the bag. Place the bag again into the steamer for 1 to 2 minutes to reheat. Make sure to cover the steamer with the lid to prevent any heat from escaping. Compress the affected area with the bag in this manner 5 to 6 times. If the water has turned cold and needs to be reheated place the steamer with the bag in it back on the fire.