Ginger: 7 Health Benefits. Natural Health Solutions.
Ginger has a wonderful taste and aroma and has been used for thousands of years, both for flavoring food and for medicinal purposes. This common cooking spice adds flavor to many dishes, but it can also help with many illnesses and ailments.
Ginger, also called ginger root, comes from the stem of a plant that grows to about a foot tall in tropical climates. But it’s the underground part of the plant, called the rhizome, the thick, knotty stem which is used in cooking and healing.
You can purchase ginger as raw, powdered, crystallized, in extracts, tinctures, capsules, tea, and in oil form.
Ginger root cures:
*1. Migraine headache. It has been found in various researches that consuming about half-a-teaspoon of powdered ginger, taken up within 30 minutes of the onset of migraine or severe headache, helps in reducing the symptoms.
*2. Muscle and/or joint pain. Many components of Ginger are, like aspirin and Motrin. In a study of 10 patients with muscle pains and 46 patients with arthritis, 100% of muscle pain and 75% of arthritis patients noted relief.
The recommended dose was 1000mg of powdered Ginger a day. Many patients took 3000-4000mg a day and noted quicker and better relief using the higher dose (Medical Hypothesis,39:342-8; 1992).
Ginger oil (available in health food stores) and fresh ginger may also be rubbed into a painful joint. A warm poultice can be made with fresh or powdered ginger. Mix enough ginger (several tablespoons) with very hot water to make a paste, spread on a gauze and allow it to soak in. Apply, ginger side to skin, to painful areas for a few minutes
*3. Nausea and vomiting. You might try taking it every four hours as needed. Chewing on a 1/4 oz piece of fresh ginger sometimes helps too.
Ginger gives relief from the nausea associated with morning sickness during pregnancy. It can also be used to treat nausea caused due to chemotherapy or seasickness
*4. Upset stomach, indigestion and gas. Fresh root: 2 to 4 grams daily, powdered: 0.25 to 1.0 gram (start small, 1/4 tsp to 4 oz. water, warm or cold), liquid extract: 30 to 90 drops, 500 milligram capsules: 2 to 8 (adjust for potency) or sip some ginger ale.
*5. Cold and flu symptoms, sore throat, headache. Two tablespoons fresh ginger in hot water several times a day. Commercial ginger tea works well too. Some people find relief from inhaling a few drops of ginger oil or fresh ginger in steaming water.Consumption of ginger makes the body feel warm and promotes perspiration. This property is especially useful when a person is suffering from a fever, since perspiration causes a fever to break faster.
The best way to consume ginger is in the form of a ginger tea. Boil two cups of water with two tablespoons of grated fresh ginger for around ten minutes. Strain the mixture into your cup. Add a teaspoon of honey and some lemon for taste.
*6. Diabetes. Some doctors suggest drinking ginger in water first thing in the morning to help regulate glucose.
*7. Motion Sickness. I often give a bottle of gourmet ginger as a bon voyage gift. Your friends who are faced with a long flight or are taking a cruise will be grateful for this thoughtful present.
Some studies have suggested that it is just as effective as Dramamine and other common drugs. While these effects are still being studied, it can’t hurt to add a bit of ginger to the meal you eat before hopping on a plane or boat.
If you need ideas on how to use ginger in your recipes, be sure to check out recipes used in traditional Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Want to know more about ginger? Then, click here:
Yours truly for great health, mind and body,
Michelle, natural health advocate
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June 28 2010 10:33 pm | Green Living and Healthy Eating and Natural Beauty and Natural Remedies
June 29th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
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