The Many Health Benefits Provided by Ginger Root

The World's Healthiest Food Organization provides us with this chart:

Please bear in mind this food rating is of 1 oz. of ginger root, which could easily be consumed in one cup of hot tea. Cathy Wong, ND, CNS, a licensed naturopathic doctor, and certified nutrition specialist with the American College of Nutrition and contributing writer at Alternative Medicine:About.com offers her recipe for ginger root tea as follows:

Peel the ginger root and cut into thin slices. Boil 4 cups of water in a small pan on the stove and add the sliced ginger. Cover the pan allowing it to simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain the tea and add lemon, honey, or brown sugar to taste. However, if the tea is being prepared to help in the relief of a cold, sweeteners are not recommended.

Ginger tea has a spicy invigorating flavor and is used as a home remedy for indigestion nausea, arthritis, and joint relief and to ward off colds, flu, and sore throats.

For those who love ginger ale here is a recipe to try at home:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups ( about 10 ozs.) coarsely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
• 3 strips lemon peel ( about 4 inches each), yellow part only
• 1 ½ cups sugar (approximately)
• 3 quarts chilled club soda
• Ice cubes

PREPARATION

Place ginger, lemon peel, and 4 cups of water in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer at a low boil, uncovered for about 10 minutes. Adding sugar stir constantly, and continue to boil until liquid is reduced to about 3 cups (about 15 minutes).

Place a fine wire strainer over a large bowl. Pour ginger mixture through strainer. Discard lemon peel, saving ginger pieces to use with vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

After the liquid cools, pour it into a glass container with a seal. Seal tightly and chill for at least 1 hour. Refrigerated, your ginger ale syrup will last at least one week.

For each 16-ounce serving, mix ¼ cup ginger syrup with 1 cup cold club soda and pour over ice.

Enjoy!

James A. Duke, PhD had worked for 30 years at the time of the publication of his book, The Green Pharmacy (1997) as a botanist specializing in medicinal plants for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to Dr. Duke ginger has been proven to perform better as a preventative therapy for motion sickness than many over the counter or prescribed medications.

He states “The reason herbs are not more popular in the United States is that the drug companies can't patent them. The drug companies make their money by pulling the medicinally active molecules out of herbs and then tinkering with them a little until they're chemically unique. The companies can then patent their new molecules, give them brand names and sell them back to us for a lot more money than their original herbal sources cost.”

He goes on to explain for the most part herbals are safer, more economical, and more effective while working with fewer side effects. Plants cleanse, feed, fuel, and medicate our planet. But Dr. Duke also warns against self diagnosis and self treatment. It is wise to consult your physician for proper diagnosis and prior to self medicating.

According to Dr. Duke the labels on herbal preparations for the most part do not boast medicinal or therapeutic use, because herb marketers would need to spend $200 million to prove to the FDA's satisfaction that the specified herb was safe and could effectively treat the said illness. Who would provide this type of funding?

Dr. Andrew Weil applauds Dr. Duke's book “The Green Pharmacy is full of helpful, practical information about using plants as medicines . . . I plan to consult it often.”

Having verified Dr. Duke's credibility here is a list of ailments which have found relief from the use of ginger/ ginger root:

1. Inflammation: Ginger contains more than 12 anti-oxidants which work as anti-inflammatory agents, and help to neutralize free radicals in the body.
2. Cataracts: Daily doses of ginger will aid in the prevention of cataracts.
3. Heart Disease: The powerful anti-oxidants provided in ginger will help prevent artery-clogging plaque from being deposited on coronary artery walls.
4. Migraines: Ginger as an anti-inflammatory helps relieve the pain of migraines and head aches.
5. Stroke: For the same reason as no. 3 above.
6. Amenorrhea: Combined with other herbs and steeped as a tea to restore a normal menstrual cycle.
7. Angina: Because angina is caused by cholesterol -rich deposits called plaque causing the coronary arteries to narrow limiting blood flow to the heart and the resulting pain, ginger is effective in helping to relieve this health problem.
8. Ankylosing spondylitis: Ginger is high in proteolytic enzymes which play a role in controlling autoimmune diseases. These enzymes help to reduce the body's blood levels of compounds known as immune complexes. These in high levels cause our immune system to attack us and lead to tissue damage. Ginger is one of nature's richest sources of proteolytic enzymes, and is actually 180 times higher than the papaya plant.
9. Arthritis: Ginger aids in the pain and swelling associated with arthritis.
10. Athlete's Foot: Add an ounce of chopped ginger to a cup of boiling water, allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Apply the concoction with a cotton ball to the problem areas twice a day. Ginger contains antifungal compounds.
11. Body Odor: Ginger contains 17 compounds known for their anti-bacterial properties, so Dr. Duke advices that a cloth soaked in ginger tea could be applied to the underarm area in a compress.
12. Bunions: Orally, ginger will aid in the inflammation and pain associated with bunions
13. Bursitis: Again, ginger has anti-inflammatory agents
14. Colds, Coughs: Ginger provides a natural decongestant, reduces pain and fever and is mildly relaxing to promote rest.
15. Dandruff/Seborrhea: Mix 1 or 2 tablespoons of ginger juice, 3 tablespoons of sesame oil and ½ teaspoon lemon juice, apply to the scalp 3 times a week.
16. Depression:Ginger tea has a long history of being used for the treatment of depression and anxiety.
17. Dizziness: When treated with scopolamine you may find yourself with side effects such as blurred vision, dry mouth, hallucinations, and heart palpitations. None of these side effects have been reported while using ginger, but participants in studies have reported good results.
18. Erectile dysfunctions: In an article published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine Saudi scientists asserted that ginger was effective at increasing sperm motility and quantity.
19. Hives: Canadian herbalist Terry Willard treated his own hives (from a food allergy) by boiling ½ pound of ginger in a gallon of water and then adding this to his bath. After soaking for a time, he sponged off with a chamomile tea mixture of 1 teaspoon chamomile to 1 cup boiled water.
20. Indigestion: Commission E approves of taking 2 grams of ginger for indigestion. Ginger contains chemicals that are known to soothe the stomach muscles and aid in digestion.
21. Infertility: There is a Chinese formula containing ginger which is prescribed for male infertility, however, it should be mixed by a Chinese herbalist.
22. Inhibited sexual desire (in women): While traveling in Peru, Dr. Duke saw vendors selling hot ginger to warm up “cold” women, but he does not vouch for it's effectiveness.
23. Intermittent claudication: Ginger has been tested in studies for its anti clogging properties and has been shown to be as effective as aspirin and garlic in preventing blood clots
24. Laryngitis: Ginger contains cineole, which is an excellent expectorant
25. Liver Problems: Dr. Duke and Stephen Beckstrom-Sternberg, PhD discovered 8 compounds contained in ginger, which are known to protect the liver.
26. Morning sickness: Tests were conducted on pregnant women who were suffering from morning sickness. A high percentage was able to find relief from doses of ginger without worrying about the risks of harming their unborn babies.
27. Raynaud's Disease: Because of its ability to aid in blood circulation, ginger brings relief to those suffering from Raynaud's, and they have been able to feel the warmth return to their extremities.
28. Viral Infections: Contained in ginger is at least 10 anti-viral compounds, and many of the same are found in turmeric.
29. Worms: In one study ginger extract immobilized over 90 % of a certain larvae carried in fish within 4 hours and destroyed them within 16 hours.
30. Ovarian Cancer: Ginger has been shown to kill ovarian cancer cells in test tubes, but has not been tested on humans yet. It also protected tissue from radiation damage in tests conducted on rats.
31. Diabetes: In tests ginger has been shown to help control sugar levels in diabetic rats.

Many of the health providing benefits listed here were also listed by Dr. Ray Sahelian and shown on the Worlds Healthiest Foods Organization web site. The benefits are available to us for a fraction of what the equivalent medications would cost and could perhaps alleviate the need for medical treatment in some areas, if not all. Why not avail ourselves of what nature has to offer?