Ginger is used as a digestive aid to reduce stomach irritation by absorbing and, in some cases, neutralizing stomach acids. Ginger also soothes irritated intestinal walls and assists in moving food through the digestive tract. The herb increases both the production and secretion of bile in the liver and gall bladder, which helps maintain the digestion of fats. This process aids in lowering cholesterol levels.
Research has indicated that daily doses of ginger may decrease the blockage in clogged arteries. Some studies have found that ginger strengthens the cardiac muscle, but more research is required to determine its clinical significance.
Ginger's anti-inflammatory properties help relieve pain and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, rheumatism, and muscle spasms. Ginger's therapeutic properties effectively stimulate circulation of the blood, removing toxins from the body, cleansing the bowels and kidneys, and nourishing the skin. Other uses for ginger include the treatment of asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems by loosening and expelling phlegm from the lungs. Ginger may also be used to help break fevers by warming the body and increasing perspiration. Asian medicine employs it as a treatment for colds and shortness of breath.
f you have athlete's foot, cool some ginger tea and soak your feet in it. Its anti-fungal property will ease the burn and itch. Ginger tea is also said to reduce excessive perspiration, act as an aphrodisiac and freshen one's breath. Not bad for the stem of a plant that grows underground!As a mood enhancer, ginger's cineol content may help contribute to stress relief. So sipping a cup of ginger tea after a hard day at the office might be just what the doctor ordered.
Dosage:
Indigestion: 2 to 4 grams a day.
Motion sickness: 1 gram 30 minutes before travel; for continuing symptoms, 0.5
to 1 gram every four hours.
To prevent vomiting: 0.5 to 2 grams daily.
Arthritis: 1 to 2 grams daily.
Chopped ginger root can be made into a tea. Pour boiling water over 0.5 to 1 gram (about 1/4 teaspoonful) of the chopped root, steep for five minutes and strain.
Originating in India and China, Chinese ships carried pots of ginger on board long sea voyages to prevent scurvy and sea sickness, and a Chinese folk remedy recommends rubbing the cut root of the plant on the scalp to stop hair loss. Ginger has been used for centuries in Chinese herbal medicine for the positive effects it has on the body, as well as to enhance herbal combinations. Meanwhile, in India, before religious festivals, devotees would avoid garlic, so as not to offend the deities. Instead, they consumed ginger, which left them fragrant and pleasing. Ginger is considered the "Universal Medicine" by India's Ayurvedic herbalists. Ginger ale and ginger beer have been recommended as "stomach settlers" for generations in countries where the beverages are made. Ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps in the United States in the past.
Ginger has been used around the world to reduce fever, to relieve ulcers, as an anti-nauseate, as a carrier herb (enhancing absorption of other herbs), to treat colon and stomach spasms, to relieve constipation, to ease gas or flatulence, to nourish the skin, to regulate menstrual cycle (in China), to ease menstrual cramps (in the West), and to treat first- and second-degree burns when applied externally.
In recent clinical trials, ginger proved more effective than the prescription drug Reglan in preventing post-operative nausea and vomiting and was found to be more effective than Dramamine in curbing motion sickness – without causing drowsiness. Ginger has been shown to stimulate the intestines and promote production of saliva, digestive juices, and bile and also tends to boost the pumping action of the heart, prevent the formation of clots, reduce cholesterol levels, and fight inflammation. It may even have a stimulating effect on the immune system.Volatile oils called gingerols are responsible for ginger's medicinal value – having anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, antipyretic, antibacterial, and GI tract motility effects – and are thought to inhibit certain cancers. The other known constituents of ginger include zingibain, bisabolenel, oleoresins, starch, mucilage, essential oils (zingiberene, zingiberole, camphene, cineol, borneol), and protein.
Ginger boosts the effects of antioxidants and, at the same time, contains many antioxidants itself. Ginger's antioxidant properties help fight the common cold. Ginger has a high content of sesquiterpenes, which contribute to the body's defense against the rhinoviruses responsible for colds and sinus congestion. Ginger doesn't actually cure the common cold, but it can help decrease the severity of the symptoms. Ginger is also used as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat migraine headaches and rheumatoid arthritis.