Herbal Tuesday..A bit late but lets look at Ginger!!

Friday, July 16, 2010 Posted In , , , , , , , Edit This 1 Comment »

I am so so so so so so so so so sorry guys!
Life's been a bit weird and off and so I couldn't get to my blog this week.
But I'm a making up for it by posting me arse off!
Today we are looking at ginger!
This is a wonderful little plant with alot of medicinal qualities..
Looks kinda knarly but its awesomeness!!
I personally have benefited from its medicinal properties..
When I was younger I got really sick when I lived in Dallas.My roommate at the time was an very sweet Asian girl and she made me Ginger Soup.
Took a min to get use to it.But It helped me kick whatever I had at the time..
Botanical Classification
Family
Zingiberaceae
Genus and specie
Zingiber officinale, Roscoe

Other names
Jamaica ginger and Sheng Jiang.

Description of the herb ginger
Ginger is a deciduous perennial with thick, branching rhizomes and sturdy, upright stems with pointed lance-like leaves. Yellow-green flowers, with a deep purple lip with a yellow marking are produced, followed by the fruits, which resemble fleshy capsules.

Parts used
The fresh and dried rhizomes are used and an essential oil is also extracted.
Properties
Ginger is a sweet, pungent and aromatic herb that has expectorant properties. The herb increases perspiration, improves digestion and liver function, controls nausea, vomiting and coughing. It stimulates circulation, relaxes spasms and relieves pain.
The taste of this herb is caused by the numerous gingerols, such as [6]-gingerol, found in the plant and the volatile essential oil also contains monoterpenoids (camphene, b-phellandrene, neral and geranial), diterpene lactones, such as galanolactone, as well as sesquiterpenes (a-zingiberene and ar-curcumene).
Internal use
Ginger is used internally for motion sickness, nausea, morning sickness, indigestion, colic, abdominal chills, colds, coughs, influenza and peripheral circulatory problems.
It is a very "warming" herb, and is used in "cold" conditions like frigidity and impotence.
Some hypoglycaemic, cholesterol lowering, immune stimulant and anti-inflammatory properties have been noted.
It has a very beneficial effect on ulcers, and also increases peristalsis and the secretion of bile and gastric juices.
In Chinese medicine, it is used for nausea, vomiting, fever, cold, cough, nasal discharge, blood in the urine, abdominal unease and feeling of fullness as well as chronic bronchitis.
Green ginger (fresh young rhizomes) is juiced, eaten raw, preserved and candied.
External use
Used externally for spasmodic pain, rheumatism, lumbago, menstrual cramps and sprains.
Aromatherapy and essential oil use
To warm the body and the mind, ginger essential oil is most effective. It sharpens the senses and memory.
It will also "ground" a person, while stimulating the mind, and is very effective in removing excess moisture in the body - such as catarrh and phlegm.
Furthermore it boosts the digestive system and is valuable in fighting nausea and motion sickness - be that car or sea. The circulation boosting properties helps the entire body and its analgesic affect aids with rheumatic and arthritic pain.
On the skin it reduces bruises, sores and carbuncles.
It has analgesic, antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, bactericidal, carminative, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, laxative, rubefacient, stimulant, stomachic and tonic properties.
Safety precautions and warnings
The herb should not to be taken or used by people with inflammatory skin complaints, ulcers of the digestive tract, or high fever.
The essential oil should be avoided during pregnancy and should be used with caution, as it may irritate sensitive skins.
Other uses for ginger are...
Treating Nausea:
The brew has been used in traditional Asian medicine to treat nausea. Pregnant women report relief from morning sickness after consuming small amounts of ginger root, ginger tea, and ginger ale. When given in large doses, ginger also relieves chemotherapy-related nausea.
Relieving Joint Pain:
Ginger has been used to treat joint pain by stimulating blood circulation and has been used to relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud's syndrome.
Digestive Disorders:
The herb can be used to address flatulence, indigestion, and diarrhea. It does this by mimicking some digestive enzymes used to process protein in the body.
Promoting Heart Health:
As little as 5 grams of dried ginger a day has shown to slow the production of triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol in the liver.
Ginger also has been linked to preventing platelets from sticking together, a condition that could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Treating Colds:
Drinking ginger herbal tea is sometimes recommended for relief of cold symptoms because it is said to loosen phlegm and fight chills by spreading a warm feeling throughout the body.
Always consult with your doctor before consuming ginger herbal tea for medicinal purposes. Ms. Mary warns that pregnant women should be careful not to consume too much ginger because it may stimulate uterine contractions.
People taking blood thinners, barbiturates, beta-blockers, insulin or diabetes medications should consult a physician before use since ginger may conflict with these medications. Ginger may also interfere with the absorption of dietary iron and fat-soluble vitamins, and cause stomach upset in higher doses.
Also, because ginger helps thin the blood, it should not be taken two weeks prior to surgery. For more information, visit www.morethanalive.com.
Here's a recipe for Ginger Tea
It helps with tummy & sore throat issues.
Plus all the other good medicinal things ginger is known for!
Ingredients:
About a 3 inch piece of ginger root
6 Cups of water
Honey
Directions:
Grate the ginger as fine as you can get it, leaving the skin on.
Put the ginger in the 6 cups of water and bring to a boil
Once the water is boiling, simmer it on low for about 15 – 20 min
Use a fine strainer and ladle to pour out the tea into a cup, toss the ginger in the strainer back into the pot
You can add lemon if you wish as well.
Add about a teaspoon of honey or to your likeness.
Sip slowly and enjoy!
Thanks so much Darklings!!!
Be lookin for the other blogs to follow!
Woot!








1 comments:

Lisa said...

You know what is the greatest use I have found for ginger? Fevers! My husband runs crazy high fevers. He gets around 100-102 with a cold (no big deal, I leave those alone, body healing itself and all) but with the flu he has gotten over 105 even with traditional fever meds. As crazy as this sounds the best way ever to break a fever is boiling ginger root for about 10 minutes and then pour in a bath, make sure the bath is as hot as the person can stand and keep them in there as long as they can handle it and them dry them and wrap them up really well. You will sweat out the fever and the ginger has some crazy fever powers.

We have done this a few times with my husband and worked every time!! And he went in to it thinking there was no way it would work.