Ginger
The spice ginger is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant, known botanically as Zingiber officinale. The plant's botanical name is thought to be derived from its Sanskrit name singabera which means "horn shaped," a physical characteristic that ginger reflects.
It has a used long history of being as medicine in Asian, Indian, and Arabic herbal traditions. In China, for example, ginger has been used to help digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea, arthritis, heart conditions, common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and painful menstrual periods for more than 2,000 years. It has been used to help treat the. Ginger is native to Asia where it has been used as a cooking spice for at least 4,400 years.
Ginger is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant with a firm, striated texture. The flesh of the ginger rhizome can be yellow, white or red in color, depending upon the variety. It is covered with a brownish skin that may either be thick or thin, depending upon whether the plant was harvested when it was mature or young.
Health Benefits
Ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.
Gastrointestinal Relief
In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract). Ginger reduces all symptoms associated with motion sickness including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory and compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis, aging knees or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly.
In some research, ginger was shown to suppress the pro-inflammatory compounds (cytokines and chemokines) produced by synoviocytes (cells comprising the synovial lining of the joints), chrondrocytes (cells comprising joint cartilage) and leukocytes (immune cells).
Protection against Cancer
Ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents. Gingerols kill cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagocytosis (self-digestion).
Immune Boosting Action
Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flu. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent Dermicidin that may help fight off infections. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body's sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin's surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi.
The spice ginger is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant, known botanically as Zingiber officinale. The plant's botanical name is thought to be derived from its Sanskrit name singabera which means "horn shaped," a physical characteristic that ginger reflects.
It has a used long history of being as medicine in Asian, Indian, and Arabic herbal traditions. In China, for example, ginger has been used to help digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea, arthritis, heart conditions, common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and painful menstrual periods for more than 2,000 years. It has been used to help treat the. Ginger is native to Asia where it has been used as a cooking spice for at least 4,400 years.
Ginger is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant with a firm, striated texture. The flesh of the ginger rhizome can be yellow, white or red in color, depending upon the variety. It is covered with a brownish skin that may either be thick or thin, depending upon whether the plant was harvested when it was mature or young.
Health Benefits
Ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.
Gastrointestinal Relief
In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract). Ginger reduces all symptoms associated with motion sickness including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory and compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis, aging knees or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly.
In some research, ginger was shown to suppress the pro-inflammatory compounds (cytokines and chemokines) produced by synoviocytes (cells comprising the synovial lining of the joints), chrondrocytes (cells comprising joint cartilage) and leukocytes (immune cells).
Protection against Cancer
Ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents. Gingerols kill cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagocytosis (self-digestion).
Immune Boosting Action
Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flu. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent Dermicidin that may help fight off infections. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body's sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin's surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi.
