Ginger
Share
Zingiber officinale
Energetics : Warming
Herbal Properties : Analgesic, Anti-nauseous, Aromatic, Carminative, Counterirritant, Diaphoretic, Digestive Tonic, Circulatory Stimulant
If you walk into a grocery store, you’ll likely see ginger root in the produce department, or ground up ginger on a shelf with the spices. It gives dishes a zesty kick of flavor and is often used for culinary recipes as well as herbal medicine practices.
Ginger is native to Asia, where it has been used for thousands of years.
Ginger is a power anti-inflammatory. It has commonly been used to relieve pain from arthritis, muscle aches and pains, sore throats, toothaches, and cramps. (Source 1) It also also shows anticancer effects (Source 2)! Ginger is often also used to support digestion, soothe the stomach, ease nausea. I always have ginger on hand when I’m pregnant and morning sickness kicks it!
Ginger can be taken as a capsule, in a tincture, as a tea, or used as a spice to cook with. I love to throw a chunk of peeled ginger in my pineapple smoothies for a little kick!
Did you know? All the way back in 500 B.C., Confucius claimed to never eat a meal without having ginger to go with it.
Precautions :
No known precautions for. When in doubt, seek medical professional. None of this is medical advice.
Sources :
(1) Ginger for pains
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23612703/
(2) Ginger’s anti-cancer effects
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27290916/
(3)Using Ginger for Nausea in Pregnancy
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26884528/
Easley, T., & Horne, S. H. (2016). Chapter 13. In The modern herbal dispensatory: A medicine-making guide. essay, North Atlantic Books.
Johnson, R. L., Foster, S., Dog, T. L., Kiefer, D., & Weil, A. (2014). Chapter 4. In National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs: The world's most effective healing plants. essay, National Geographic.