Ginger

Parts Usually Used

Roots and rhizomes

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Ginger is a perennial plant; the aromatic, knotty rootstock is thick, fibrous, and whitish or buff-colored. It produces a simple, leafy stem covered with the leaf sheaths of the lanceolate-oblong to linear leaves. The plant reaches a height of 3-4 feet, the leaves growing 6-12 inches long. The sterile flowers are white with purple streaks and grow in spikes.

Where Found

Indigenous to tropical Asia and cultivated in other tropical areas, especially Jamaica.

Medicinal Properties

Antispasmodic, antiviral, antiemetic, analgesic, antiseptic, appetizer, aromatic, carminative, condiment, diaphoretic, expectorant, febrifuge, pungent, sialagogue, stimulant Topically: increases blood flow to an area

Biochemical Information

Bisabolene, borneal, borneol, camphene, choline, cineole, citral, ginerol, inositol, volatile oils, PABA, phellandrene, phenols, alkaloids, mucilage, acrid resin, sequiterpene, vitamins B3, B5, zingerone, and zingiberene.

Legends, Myths and Stories

Ginger Root Ginger is an ancient herb native to Asia. It is produced commercially in Jamaica, Africa, Japan, China, India, and the Dutch East Indies; the best is reputed to be that of Jamaica. The Chinese have been using ginger for more than 2,000 years. The Japanese serve ginger slices between sushi courses to clear the palate and aid digestion. In China, the poorer classes test food by tossing a slice of fresh ginger into their cooking pot.

They claim that if the root turns a dark color the food is bad. Marco Polo mentions ginger in his unbelievable narrative of the 13th century. The Spaniards brought the first ginger plants to the New World in the early part of the 16th century. The finest roots today come from Jamaica. If ginger is grown in greenhouses, it may bloom and produce an exotic and interesting flower that looks somewhat like a miniature pineapple.

Ginger root adds an agreeable zest to many beverages. The root is used in wines, liqueurs and soft drinks. Dry ginger is a better stimulant and expectorant; fresh ginger is a better diaphoretic, better for colds, cough, and vomiting. The following is a quote from the book “Old Ways Rediscovered” by Clarence Meyer. Another old-time favorite was the ginger tissane.

Uses

Historically, herbalists utilized ginger root as a warming remedy for gastrointestinal complaints, including indigestion, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, travel sickness, and colic. Traditional practitioners also employed it for cramps, spasms, arthritis, gout, hot flashes, suppressed menstruation, and paralysis of the tongue, as well as to stimulate circulation. Hot teas or tinctures of the rhizome were traditionally administered to induce sweating, to ease symptoms associated with colds, headaches, and chronic bronchitis, and to alleviate hangovers.

Herbalists frequently combined ginger with laxatives to moderate their griping effects or improve their flavor. Chewing the raw rootstock was believed to increase salivation and ease sore throats. In folk traditions, ginger infused in olive oil was applied to the scalp for dandruff or dropped into the ears for earaches. Externally, grated ginger was prepared as a poultice or hot fomentation for sprains, aches, minor burns, and superficial skin inflammations.

In the Chinese Materia Medica, the plant was historically documented for dyspepsia, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, poor appetite, and alcoholic gastritis.

How Sold

As a spice in the grocery, fresh root or powdered spice Motion sickness is usually helped.

Bibliography

, Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 Culpeper’s Complete Herbal & English Physician: Updated With 117 Modern Herbs , by Nicholas Culpeper, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1990, (reprint of 1814) The Herbalist Almanac , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994 Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973.

, Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements , by James F.

D. and Phyllis A. , West Nyack, NY, 1987. , 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, first printed by the United States Government Printing Office, Washington, in 1928, this Dover edition 1974 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992).

The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living , by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Co. (1988). Old Ways Rediscovered , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, published from 1954, print 1988 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc.

, 1974 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. Country Home Book of Herbs , Meredith Books, Editorial Dept. RW240, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023, copyright 1994