Harvard recommends “ginger”, a very useful herb. Ancient medical texts have called it a “great medicine”, used to treat diseases for more than 5,000 years.
One of the world’s most important and ancient herbs and spices is “ginger”. There is evidence of its use dating back more than 5,000 years. It was widely used in ancient India and China. It is considered another international herb that has spread throughout the สมัคร ufabet กับเรา รับโบนัสทันที world for a long time.
There is evidence that ginger has been used in Western countries since the beginning of trade.
Ginger, scientific name Zingiber officinale, is native to Southeast Asia. The most commonly used part is the rhizome or underground stem, which is round and rough in shape. The above-ground stem is also used in some Asian dishes.
Ginger, the ultimate Thai herb
Ginger is one of the ingredients of many herbal medicines, such as “Benjakul”, which has the property of helping to balance the four elements. Dried ginger rhizome helps to control the air element to be normal. Or “Trikatu” is a medicine with a warming effect to adjust the elements in the rainy season. Dried ginger helps to balance the function of the air element. And in Thai traditional medicine recipes, there are also ginger rhizomes/dried ginger in many recipes, such as Prasa Kaprao, Wisampaya Yai, Prasa Kan Phlu, Manthatha, Thanee Santhakhat, That Banchop, Ya Hom Intajak, Ya Hom Nawakoth and Prasa Plai, which these recipes have a mild to hot taste.
In the medicinal properties book, regarding the Triphala, Trikatu, and Trisarana, it is stated that:
Dried ginger has a sweet taste, can relieve insomnia, malaria, insomnia, flatulence, stomach pain, and nausea.
Fresh ginger has a sweet, hot and spicy taste. The rhizome promotes the air element. The flower cures diseases caused by the heart. The leaves cure nosebleeds. The stem prevents wind from flowing to the anus. The root makes the voice sound sweet and stimulates the appetite.
As for the medicinal properties of the wood, it is said that dried ginger can relieve phlegm, stimulate the fire element, and relieve deep coughing in the chest. Fresh ginger has a spicy taste, disperses the wind in the fire element, relieves gas in the night, relieves colic, relieves chest diseases, stimulates appetite, and completely cures 10 types of fever.
Thai herbal medicine uses old ginger rhizomes as a carminative, cough suppressant, expectorant, and anti-vomiting agent.
Ginger in Chinese Culture
Chinese people drink ginger boiled in brown sugar to cure colds, apply fresh ginger to temples to relieve headaches, and hold it under the tongue to relieve nausea.
Ancient Chinese women used ginger to relieve menstrual cramps and morning sickness. Chinese sailors chewed ginger root to prevent seasickness.
In 1985, ginger was added to the National Pharmacopoeia of China in the form of fresh ginger, dried ginger, and tincture. Chinese medicine practitioners use dried ginger for people with yang deficiency (cold, difficult to digest) and old ginger for people with rheumatic arthritis. Fresh ginger is used to detoxify infections, promote sweating, reduce nausea, and expel phlegm.
Ginger in Indian Ayurveda
Ginger is a widely used herb, and the use of dried ginger and fresh ginger is no different. In India, ginger is used in massage to improve blood circulation, to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, reduce water retention, as an appetite stimulant, as a digestive aid, to help expel gas in the intestines, to stop nausea and vomiting, and to stimulate libido.
In Ayurvedic medicine, ginger is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation of the liver. Native Indians also commonly use ginger juice mixed with honey and garlic juice to treat asthma. Dry ginger powder dissolved in warm water is also applied to the forehead to treat headaches.
Harvard recommends ginger
As the Harvard University website harvard.edu wrote in an article The Health Benefits of Ginger , it offers simple ways to add ginger to your meals.
Ginger is a plant with a unique sweet, spicy flavor and pungent aroma that is commonly used in many baked goods that many people love, such as cookies, cakes, and gingerbread, as well as savory dishes from around the world. In addition to adding flavor, ginger also has health benefits and can help promote overall well-being.
Health benefits of ginger
Anyone who has experienced nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain may have used ginger as a remedy or been advised to try it, as ginger has a long history of treating nausea, especially in pregnant women or those undergoing chemotherapy.
Ginger also helps reduce bloating, gas, and motion sickness. The main active ingredient is “gingerol”, which helps the digestive process work faster and makes the stomach empty faster.
In addition, ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, which may help with the following:
- Relieves pain : Research from Phytotherapy Research found that eating or applying ginger can relieve pain from muscle inflammation, premenstrual syndrome, osteoarthritis, or migraines.
- Control chronic inflammation : such as in patients with Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and lupus.
- May protect against cardiovascular disease : Ginger is currently being studied in therapeutic doses to protect the heart and blood vessels.
Ginger powder and ginger supplements
- Ginger powder : Has similar benefits to fresh ginger, but may have slightly less anti-inflammatory properties.
- Ginger supplements : They are nutritionally similar to fresh ginger, but may lose some nutrients. Choose products certified by an independent organization, such as NSF or USP, for safety.
Easy ways to incorporate ginger into your daily life
- Make ginger tea by cutting fresh ginger and adding hot water. Let it steep for 5–10 minutes. Drink hot.
- Sprinkle ginger powder in soups, stews, or baked goods.
- Use fresh grated ginger or chopped candied ginger to add to cookies, breads or desserts.
- For savory dishes, try stir-frying fresh ginger with garlic, adding it to tofu or chicken dishes, along with vegetables such as snow peas, bell peppers, broccoli, sprinkled with peanuts, and drizzled with soy sauce + sesame oil + a little brown sugar.
Tips for selecting and storing ginger
- Choose ginger with tight skin, not wrinkled, firm flesh, and no bruises. If it is slightly green or blue, it can be eaten.
- Store in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator or in a plastic bag with the air removed.
- If not used often, wash thoroughly, dry, and store in the freezer, either peeled, sliced, or finely chopped.
Ginger is not suitable for anyone.
While ginger is generally considered safe to consume, and despite its many benefits, there are instances when some people may want to limit their intake or avoid it altogether, says Kyle Steller, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and spokesman for the American Gastroenterological Association.
The biggest concern is for people with blood clotting disorders, such as hemophilia, where the blood doesn’t clot properly, Dr. Steller says. Ginger has anticoagulant properties, or it thins the blood slightly, which means it could increase the risk of bleeding.
Because of its anticoagulant properties, people taking blood thinning medications, such as warfarin or aspirin, or heart-health antiplatelet medications, such as clopidogrel, should also use caution. “Ginger can increase the effects of these medications and may lead to excessive bleeding or bruising,” explains Dr. Steller.