Ginger is the most widely cultivated spice on Earth, according to Herbs2000.com. Man has used ginger to treat stomach ailments for over 2,000 years and as a culinary spice for more than 4,000 years, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. The most important part of the ginger plant is the underground stem, or rhizome, sometimes mistaken for the root. Use this rhizome to flavor food, treat illness or enhance your overall health.
Digestive Advantage
Ginger gives you a digestive advantage, according to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. People use ginger to ease motion sickness and gas. Studies have shown that ginger reduces morning sickness in pregnant women when used for a safe, brief time (no more than four days), including one study that found women who took 1 g of ginger every day for four days suffered less morning sickness than those who took placebos. Ginger also relieves nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy, increasing the patients' tolerance to therapy. Giving a patient 1 g of ginger pre-operatively sometimes diminishes post-operative nausea more effectively than medication.
Illnesses
Ginger helps people with arthritis regain their range of motion. A 2001 study showed that patients with arthritic knees who took ginger extract twice a day saw more reduction in pain than those who did not. Ginger helps women get over menstrual cramps faster and can relieve cold and flu symptoms.
Appealing
Ginger is an aromatic spice with a distinct flavor, which makes consuming ginger a pleasant treatment for a variety of illnesses. Ginger has a fresh, lemony and pungent aroma and taste that does not offend the senses of a nauseated person, unlike many pharmaceutical drugs that contain artificial coloring or flavoring to make them more palatable.
Availability
Ginger is readily available in many forms, giving this rhizome the edge over many expensive or rare treatments. Grow ginger in a dark, moist spot in your garden or purchase some fresh ginger at the grocery store or farmer's market. Ginger also is available in the dry spice aisle to add to food or in the supplement aisle at the drug store.
Ease of Use
Ginger is easy to work with. Soak shredded ginger in hot water to make a pleasant tea, effective for soothing an upset stomach. Apply topical ginger oil directly to joints for an ointment that smells better than many over-the-counter arthritis rubs. Add ginger to food daily to give yourself the advantage of overall good digestion or take ginger supplements to gain the pharmaceutical benefits of its volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds.
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