Health Benefits of Ginger: What is Ginger Good For?

Ginger has been used for hundreds of years for it medicinal properties in the regions in which it grows; namely, south and south east Asia. Its use is mostly from a culinary perspective though traditional Chinese and Indian medicine strongly advocate its use. This is probably based on the fact that the active ingredients in ginger act as an aid in digestion; it is an analgesic and an antipyretic – which is the ability to bring down fever. While ginger has been used as a medicine for many years, placebo trials have not brought out any definitive findings to support that ginger is a better substitute for allopathic products.

Though ginger is lauded for its medicinal qualities, it unfortunately is quite difficult for the palette in its raw form and ingesting it requires a certain amount of strong will or another less pungent accompaniment. A common cure for the congestion and the common cold has been ginger tea. This can be made by placing dried ginger slices and tea leaves in boiling water and letting the mixture “sit” for a while before adding sugar and drinking it. This can also be done to a lemon tea mixture. This very same treatment can also be used for relieving indigestion and fever as well. It is also touted as being very useful in treating headaches. Again this is because of it analgesic qualities though scientific placebo tests don’t rate it higher that more popular drugs like Ibuprofen. Ginger also contains some antioxidants. Antioxidants react with free radicals in the body, which are responsible for cell damage. There is also some belief in eastern traditional medicine that ginger is also a good aphrodisiac. Interestingly, it is also advisable to take ginger for any menstrual disorders like heavy cramping and a delayed onset, this is interesting to note because most drugs that have the same benefit can induce a period at anytime without taking the body cycles into account. There is some evidence and belief that ginger is a good treatment for arthritis. This is probably because of its analgesic qualities and less due to any benefits done to the affected joints. Arthritis can never be cured or prevented and is a degenerative condition.

There are some dangers to using ginger as well but these stem from over consumption. Do not try to consume ginger more than three times in a day to avoid any toxic side effects. These dangers are easily avoided as well because ginger is so pungent that it can only be had in moderation. It might also be quite a shock to the spice-fearing palette.