It’s botanical name is Zingiber officinale. It’s unmistakable. Ginger is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems about one meter tall bearing narrow leaf blades
It can be used fresh, dried, powdered, as a juice or even an oil. There are many scientific studies which have shown ginger to be medically beneficial. As in most plants there is an active component. Sometimes it is an alkaloid. For ginger it is gingerol. It has been used to fight colds and flus, it an reduce nausea, and aid in digestion. It is useful for the vomiting associated with pregnancy.
It has anti inflammatory and anti oxidant effects. It can reduce free radical damage of the body. There was a 2019 study concluding that ginger can reduce weight loss. In 2016 another study concluded its weight loss effects and also that ginger reduced insulin levels.
Many of my patients use ginger for their osteoarthritis. It helps reduce pain and their disability. In my field of cardiology I was most impressed by its reduction of apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A ratio. It also reduced oxidative stress by decreasing by 23 % malonaldehyde (MDA)
Perhaps it is best known for helping digestive problems as dyspepsia also known as indigestion
If you haven’t tried ginger…I would suggest you do.
Until tomorrow…