The Benefits of Ginger Root
If you've ever wanted to learn how to use ginger therapeutically you're in luck. That's because this post will reveal to you the benefits of ginger root, plus a variety of tips for using it. And, you'll even get some juice and tea recipes!
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a rhizome that comes from the same family as turmeric and cardamom.
It has a thick stem that grows underground and sprouts roots and shoots. Ginger plants can grow as high as three feet. After harvesting the ginger, it's washed and dried in the sun. Once dried, you can use it for cooking or therapeutic purposes.
Ginger has a volatile oil, gingerol that is responsible for ginger's pungent taste.
Ginger is a common spice with rich history. Traditional medicine systems, like Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have used for a wide range of ailments for at least 5000 years. In fact, Ayurvedic texts call ginger a “great universal medicine”.
Let’s explore the health benefits of ginger.
1. Digestive Health
benefits of ginger rootIf you can't digest the food you eat, you cannot extract the nutrients from it. Ayurveda considers good digestion key to health… And ginger is best known for its effects on the digestive system.
Ayurveda's main focus is to establish a healthy digestive fire… And ginger kindles the digestive fire, Agni. It's pungent and warming which helps to stimulate the release of enzymes to break down food and empty the stomach.
According to Ayurveda ginger works on all three phases of gastrointestinal function:
2. Nausea
Ginger can prevent nausea in some cases. But it seems to help most with nausea related to pregnancy, motion sickness, sea sickness and surgery.
3. Respiratory Health
the benefits of ginger rootGinger is effective in treating respiratory problems like coughs, colds, asthma, and bronchitis. Ginger has a sharpness that's very effective at breaking up mucus from the throat and lungs.
4. Cardiovascular Health
the benefits of ginger rootGinger can be a diverse and powerful aid when it comes to cardiovascular health.
On initial ingestion, raw ginger has the ability to thin blood and help the body to slow the clotting process. This makes it an effective and natural remedy to lower blood pressure.
Ginger can also help in the prevention of heart attack and stroke. Over time it can help to lower cholesterol and arterial blockages that lead to a stroke or heart attack.
A benefit noted for thousands of years by both Indian and Chinese physicians is ginger's ability to improve circulation. For instance, they often prescribed it to people troubled by cold hands and feet.
5. Treats Inflammation
the benefits of ginger rootAlong with ginger's ability to thin blood, it is a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Many people suffer from inflammatory bowels disorders. Ginger can help to reduce inflammation of the bowels to ease symptoms caused by digestive issues or autoimmune diseases.
You can also apply ginger topically to reduce inflammation on the surface of the skin. Surprisingly, some of the pain relief that takes place when applied topically is due to its painkilling agents. This is why they say ginger is the smart person's aspirin!
6. Anti-Bacterial
the benefits of ginger rootGinger is an anti-bacterial and it has a positive effect on the bacterial population in the body.
It has many antibacterial agents that can help to reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the body.
This is not only good for keeping infections from reaching dangerous levels and allowing for the body to heal… But also great for the essential gut flora that lives in your digestive tract.
For external application, you can mash it into a mixture and place it in a poultice. Or you can ingest it without having a harmful effect on the good bacteria in the intestines.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a rhizome that comes from the same family as turmeric and cardamom.
It has a thick stem that grows underground and sprouts roots and shoots. Ginger plants can grow as high as three feet. After harvesting the ginger, it's washed and dried in the sun. Once dried, you can use it for cooking or therapeutic purposes.
Ginger has a volatile oil, gingerol that is responsible for ginger's pungent taste.
Ginger is a common spice with rich history. Traditional medicine systems, like Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have used for a wide range of ailments for at least 5000 years. In fact, Ayurvedic texts call ginger a “great universal medicine”.
Let’s explore the health benefits of ginger.
1. Digestive Health
benefits of ginger rootIf you can't digest the food you eat, you cannot extract the nutrients from it. Ayurveda considers good digestion key to health… And ginger is best known for its effects on the digestive system.
Ayurveda's main focus is to establish a healthy digestive fire… And ginger kindles the digestive fire, Agni. It's pungent and warming which helps to stimulate the release of enzymes to break down food and empty the stomach.
According to Ayurveda ginger works on all three phases of gastrointestinal function:
- Digestion
- Absorption
- Elimination
2. Nausea
Ginger can prevent nausea in some cases. But it seems to help most with nausea related to pregnancy, motion sickness, sea sickness and surgery.
3. Respiratory Health
the benefits of ginger rootGinger is effective in treating respiratory problems like coughs, colds, asthma, and bronchitis. Ginger has a sharpness that's very effective at breaking up mucus from the throat and lungs.
4. Cardiovascular Health
the benefits of ginger rootGinger can be a diverse and powerful aid when it comes to cardiovascular health.
On initial ingestion, raw ginger has the ability to thin blood and help the body to slow the clotting process. This makes it an effective and natural remedy to lower blood pressure.
Ginger can also help in the prevention of heart attack and stroke. Over time it can help to lower cholesterol and arterial blockages that lead to a stroke or heart attack.
A benefit noted for thousands of years by both Indian and Chinese physicians is ginger's ability to improve circulation. For instance, they often prescribed it to people troubled by cold hands and feet.
5. Treats Inflammation
the benefits of ginger rootAlong with ginger's ability to thin blood, it is a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Many people suffer from inflammatory bowels disorders. Ginger can help to reduce inflammation of the bowels to ease symptoms caused by digestive issues or autoimmune diseases.
You can also apply ginger topically to reduce inflammation on the surface of the skin. Surprisingly, some of the pain relief that takes place when applied topically is due to its painkilling agents. This is why they say ginger is the smart person's aspirin!
6. Anti-Bacterial
the benefits of ginger rootGinger is an anti-bacterial and it has a positive effect on the bacterial population in the body.
It has many antibacterial agents that can help to reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the body.
This is not only good for keeping infections from reaching dangerous levels and allowing for the body to heal… But also great for the essential gut flora that lives in your digestive tract.
For external application, you can mash it into a mixture and place it in a poultice. Or you can ingest it without having a harmful effect on the good bacteria in the intestines.
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