Ginger Root Profile

Also known as

Zingiber officinalis

Introduction

Ginger is the most widely used and available herbal remedy on the planet, with billions of people using it every day as both food and medicine. A tropical perennial growing to a height of two feet, ginger has lance-shaped leaves and bears stalks of white or yellow flowers. Ginger has long been the subject of fable and literature. For centuries, Europeans obtained ginger form Arab spice traders, who protected their sources by inviting stories of ginger field located in lands stalked by a fierce people called troglodytes. And Shakespeare wrote in Love's Labour Lost, "had I but one penny in the world thou shouldst have it to buy ginger-bread." Ginger is used either fresh or dried in nearly two thirds of all traditional Chinese and Japanese herbal formulas. Fresh ginger is used to relieve dryness and heat, while dried ginger is used to relieve dampness and chill.

Constituents

1,8-cineole, 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 8-shogaol, acetic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, alpha-phellandrene, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpinene, alpha-terpineol, arginine, ascorbic acid, beta-bisolene, beta-carotene, beta-pinene, beta-sitosterol, boron, caffeic acid, camphor, capsaicin, chlorogenic acid, curcumene, gingerols, sesquiphellandrene, zingiberene, resins, starches, fats, proteins.

Parts Used

Dried, peeled rhizome, chopped.

Typical Preparations

Teas, tinctures, encapsulations, in herbal formulas, and in cooking. First-time users of ginger tend to use too much. To make ginger tea, simmer 3/4 teaspoon (0.5 to 1.0 grams) of chopped ginger in 1 cup of hot water for five minutes in a closed teapot.

Summary

Precautions

Although there are warnings in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and some medical texts about using ginger during pregnancy, ginger used in moderation, that is 3/4 teaspoon up to three times a day, poses no risk to mother's or baby's health. Studies in the late 1990's found that eating as much as 2 to 3 tablespoons of raw ginger or 5 to 8 tablespoons of dried ginger daily will not stimulate uterine contraction. Excessive use may cause gastro-intestinal upset.