Ginger
Ginger (Root Extract) Israel 30:1 concentrate of fresh ginger
Zingiber Officinale
In the orient ginger is commonly used to enhance digestion and utilization
of all other nutrients, to reduce gas, and as an overall tonic, and
to improve circulation and lower cholesterol. Especially supportive
of bronchial health. Repulsive to intestinal and other parasites.
Phenylalkylketones (Gingerols, Shogaols, Singerone), Aromatic Oils (Zingiberone,
Bisabolene, Camphene, Geranial, Linalool, Borneol) and some 400 other identified
Phytonutrients.
Ginger root is widely used around the world as a spice or food additive.
Ginger is fried and eaten plain, and used in curry pastes and other sauces in
India; it is grilled and used to flavor fish and meats or for making ginger tea
in Indonesia; it is boiled or fried in Chinese cookery; used to baste chicken or
eaten as pickled ginger (beni shoga) and served with sushi in Japan; and used in
Jamaica to make Jamaican jerk paste. A ginger extract with carbonated water
makes the popular drink we call ginger ale. Ginger was used in the Middle Ages
in Europe to flavor beer.
Ginger has been used in Asia for thousands of years for relief from
arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, muscular aches and pains, catarrh, congestion,
coughs, sinusitis, sore throats, diarrhea, colic, cramps, indigestion, loss of
appetite, motion sickness, fever, flu, chills, and infectious disease.
The Lancet, a highly respected British medical journal, reported excellent
results in scientific tests using ginger to treat nausea: "The powdered rhizome
of Zingiber officinale has been found to be more effective than
dimenhydrinate (Dramamine?) in reducing motion sickness in individuals highly
susceptible to this malady (Mowrey and Clayson, The Lancet, 1982)." Other
reports from medical research indicate that ginger is effective in reducing the
effects of morning sickness in pregnant women.
The Latin name Zingiber is derived from the Sanskrit word,
shringavera, which means "shaped like a deer's antlers." The word ginger
evolved in English from the Latin zingiber as "gingifer" and "gingivere."
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
Part Used: The rootstock.
Constituents: The whole complex of
primary plant constituents and a characteristic array of secondary plant
constituents are present. Pharmacologically important constituents include:
Actions: Stimulant, carminative,
anti-spasmodic, rubefacient, diaphoretic, emmenagogue.
Indications: Ginger may be used as
a stimulant of the peripheral circulation in cases of bad circulation, chilblains
and cramps. In feverish conditions, Ginger acts as a useful diaphoretic,
promoting perspiration. As a gargle it may be effective in the relief of sore
throats. Externally it is the base of many fibrositis and muscle
sprain treatments. Ginger has been used world-wide as an aromatic carminative
and pungent appetite stimulant. In India, and in other countries with hot and
humid climates, ginger is eaten daily and is a well-known remedy for digestion
problems. Its wide-spread use is not only be due to flavor, but to the
anti-oxidant and anti-microbial effects, necessary for preservation of food,
essential in such climates.
Preparations & Dosage:
Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto l teaspoonful of the fresh root and
let it infuse for 5 minutes. Drink whenever needed. Decoction: if you are using
the dried root in powdered or finely chopped form, make a decoction by putting 1
1/2 teaspoonfuls to a cup of water. Bring it to the boil and simmer for 5-10
minutes. This can be drunk whenever needed. Tincture: the tincture comes in two
forms, weak Tincture B.P. which should be taken in a dose of 1.5-3 ml three
times a day and the Strong Tincture B.P. which should be taken in a dose of
0.25-0.5 ml three times a day.
General Culture:
This tropical plant, needing plenty of
heat and humidity, may find a temporary home in a partially shady spot of your
summer garden, but pot culture is more practical for an extended growing period.
The best way to start ginger is to purchase a fresh (not dried or frozen) root
at a grocery store in early spring. Cut the root (rhizome) into 1- or 2-"
sections but long enough to include several healthy-looking, well-developed
growth buds. Let the cut ends callous over (dry out) a day or so, then plant
just below the soil surface in fertile, well-drained soil. Water sparingly until
top growth develops, otherwise the rhizome could rot. Once established, water
heavily, fertilize monthly, and keep in a partially shaded location. Provided
with adequate space, ginger can reach a height of 4' with a 2- to 3-foot spread.
Bring in before temperatures drop below 50 degrees F. Rhizomes may rot in cold
wet soil. Allow several months before harvesting to allow rhizomes to reach
adequate size. With care, new sections may be harvested while allowing the
remainder to continue growing.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
True ginger is one of the oldest known and
most widely consumed spices.
In China, ginger is mentioned in the
earliest of herbals. Dried ginger is first mentioned in Shen Nong Ben Cao
Jing, attributed to the Divine Plowman Emperor, Shen-Nong, who lived about
2,000 BC. Fresh ginger was first listed in Ming Yi Bie Lu (Miscellaneous
Records of Famous Physicians) and Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu (Collection
of Commentaries on the Classics of Materia Medica) both attributed to Tao
Hong-jing, published during the dynasties of the North and South Kingdoms around
the year 500 AD.
Fresh ginger and dried ginger are
considered two different commodities. In fact, one author of an early ben cao
(Chinese herbal) felt that they were so different that they must come from two
different plants! The dried root is known as Gan-jiang. The fresh root is called
Sheng-jiang. The fresh root is used to dispel pathogens via its ability to
induce sweating. It expels cold, relieves nausea and "clear away"
toxic matter. The dried root treats depleted yang, removes cold, is useful for
"cold" pain of the stomach and abdomen, is useful for diarrhea due to
cold deficiency, cough, rheumatism and many other uses. Experimental data
developed by Chinese scientists verifies the ability of the dried root to
"strengthen," the stomach while acting as a mild stomach and
intestinal stimulant. It has also been shown to inhibit vomiting. Studies with
fresh root showed that for the first few hours ginger tea reduced gastric
secretions, followed by a longer period of stimulation. Animal experiments have
also shown analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity.
Even in modern China, while an essential
ingredient in almost any meal, it is also one of the most widely consumed drugs.
Both fresh and dried roots are official drugs of the modern Chinese
pharmacopoeia, as is a liquid extract and tincture of ginger. Ginger is used in
dozens of traditional Chinese prescriptions as a "guide drug" to
"mediate" the effects of potentially toxic ingredients. In fact, in
modern China, Ginger is believed to be used in half of all herbal prescriptions.
Uses:
The fresh or frozen rhizome is grated and
used in Eastern recipes in soups, stir fry, and numerous other meat, poultry and
seafood dishes. Crystallized ginger root is a popular Asian confection. The
young sprouts are also edible. Dried and ground, the spice has a Western
culinary tradition in baking, candies and puddings.
Ginger extracts have been extensively
studied for a broad range of biological activities including antibacterial,
anticonvulsant, analgesic, antiulcer, gastric anti-secretory, antitumor,
antifungal, antispasmodic, antiallergenic, and other activities. Gingerols have
been shown to be inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis. Danish researchers at
Odense University have studied the anticoagulant properties of ginger and found
that it was a more potent blood-clotting agent than garlic or onion. The same
research group studied the potential use of ginger in the treatment of migraine,
based on the long history of ginger use for neurological disorders by
practitioners of India's traditional medicine system known as Ayurveda. The
researchers proposed that ginger may exert migraine-headache-relieving and
preventative activity without side effects.
Other scientific studies show that
gingerol, one of the primary pungent principles of ginger, helps counter liver
toxicity by increasing bile secretion. Ginger has potent anti-microbial and
anti-oxidant (food preservative) qualities as well. A recent study, furthering
ginger's reputation as a stomachic, shows that acetone and methanol extracts of
ginger strongly inhibits gastric ulceration.
|
Friendly