Oftentimes when a patient calls me but isn’t able to immediately get to the office, I’ll prescribe medicine from the kitchen. One herb I find I call upon time and again, for a multitude of ailments, is ginger. Typically on hand in most people’s kitchens, a knob of ginger root can be quickly whipped up into a healing cup of tea. Add a spoonful of sweet honey, and even children will clamor for a sip or two. Turmeric and ginger, both belonging to the same plant family, can be combined to make a soothing cough remedy.
Ginger, also known as Zingiber officiale, is a member of the same family as heavy-hitters turmeric and cardamom, and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda practices for thousands of years as both a flavour enhancer and medicinal herb.
Spread over the centuries via trade, ginger holds great auspiciousness in many cultures. In the East, when a child was born, a knob of ginger was placed at the entranceway of Chinese homes to absorb the harmful character traits of visitors, and historical research suggests that ginger was one of the first Eastern herbs that was utilized in the West!
Ginger was popular in medieval Tudor England as a medicinal and culinary spice—in fact, it was during this time that gingerbread became the treat of choice! Widely available in everything from powders and crystallized versions to teas and candies, ginger is just about everywhere—and for good reason! More than just a warming spice that rounds out a number of dishes, ginger is an essential to any medicinal pantry!
Ginger Root
Zingiber officinale
Family: Zingiberacea
Common Name: Ginger, East Indian Pepper, Jamaica ginger
Parts Used: Roots and rhizomes, dried
Taste: Sweet, bitter, pungent, spicy, sharp
Energy: Warm, dry, sweet, pungent
Active constituents: Rich in volatile oil which includes zingiberene, bisabolene, zingiberole, zingiberenol, curcumene, phellandrene, borneol, methlheptenone, camphene, norneol, cineol, linalool, citral, cumene, pinene, cymene; aromatic ketones gingerols, shogoals, and zingerone; starch, mucilage, resin
Herbal Actions: Antispasmodic, stimulant (circulatory), carminative, rubefacient, diaphoretic (especially in children), diffusive
System tropism: Digestive: stomach, liver, intestines, heart, circulatory system
Medicinal actions: Anti-nausea, antiemetic, prokinetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hypolipidemic
Dosage
Tincture (1:5): 1.25–5 ml. 3x daily.
Tea: ½–1 tsp with 150 ml boiled water. Steep 10 minutes. 2–3x daily.
Fresh infusion: 2–3 cm fresh root per cup of water. Bring to boil, covered for 20 minutes. 2–3x daily.
What is Ginger Good For?
Ginger is beneficial for its ability to improve blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, strengthen the immune system, and treat nausea and indigestion. It's also used to aid digestion, manage arthritis, and even potentially help with cancer prevention.
Ginger for Coughs
Ginger is often considered beneficial for cough relief due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and expectorant properties. It contains compounds like gingerols, which have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract, thereby alleviating cough symptoms. Ginger root acts as an expectorant, helping to loosen and clear mucus from the respiratory tract, which can relieve congestion and coughing. Additionally, it may have an antitussive action. What that means is ginger may also have a cough suppressant effect, helping to reduce dry coughs by minimizing inflammation.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is a pacifier and health care professionals may recommend ginger to help prevent or treat nausea and vomiting from motion sickness, pregnancy, and cancer chemotherapy. It is also used to treat mild stomach upset, to reduce pain of osteoarthritis, and may even be used to help remedy heart disease. With regards to morning sickness, in a study of 30 pregnant women with severe vomiting, those who took 1 gram of ginger every day for 4 days reported more relief from vomiting than those who took placebo. In a larger study of 70 pregnant women with nausea and vomiting, those who got a similar dose of ginger felt less nauseous and did not vomit as much as those who got placebo. Pregnant women should ask their doctors before taking ginger and not take more than one gram per day.
Ginger can alleviate symptoms such as cramping, bloating, and nausea—all of which are common with digestive concerns. Further, some studies have indicated that two grams of ginger daily for 28 days may help those at an in increased risk for colorectal cancer!
Ginger's Anti-inflammatory Properties
Ginger can help in a whole host of inflammation-based illnesses, including osteoarthritis. It is thought that its anti-inflammatory effects may be due to the inhibition of prostaglandin-mediated inflammation. In a study of 261 people with OA of the knee, those who took a ginger extract twice daily had less pain and needed fewer pain-killing medications than those who received placebo. Another study found that ginger was no better than ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or placebo in reducing symptoms of OA. It may take several weeks for ginger to work.
Indications: Motion sickness, nausea, seasickness, and vomiting (anti-nauseant); abdominal pain (warming carminative), adult colic (intestinal antispasmodic), fatigue (digestive strengthening), liver (liver stimulant), vitiligo (bowel strengthening) weight (digestive tonic), bowels (bowel regulator, warming digestive aid), dyspepsia (digestive aid, warming digestive stimulant, anti-nauseant)
Ginger and Other Common Ailments
Studies have shown that ginger can help modulate cholesterol to healthy levels. It also inhibits inflammation and reduces blood glucose to help reverse insulin resistance.
Ginger is also a known diaphoretic, which means it brings about sweating and blood to your core. It has even shown promise in helping with tuberculosis!
Not only can ginger help decrease inflammation associated with your monthly cycle, research has also demonstrated its ability to encourage menstruation, diminish dysmenorrhea, manage migraines and headaches, and alleviate pelvic congestion.
Ginger root and gingerol helps to increase the circulation of blood to the digestive organs, stimulates peristalsis (intestinal movement), and increases the tone of the intestinal muscle.
Contraindications & Safety
While ginger is generally considered safe for everyone, those with active gallstones, GERD, and/or peptic ulcer disease, should proceed with caution. Ginger may also increase the absorption of other medications, so it is important to speak with a healthcare provider before self-administering therapeutic doses.
Ginger Drinks to Soothe The Soul
*Adapted from Sandor Katz, Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods.
Make Your Own Kombucha
Like making your own kombucha, you can keep the ginger beer actively fermenting and use it for other things by reserving a few tablespoons of the active starter. What you are creating is a 'mother'. Feeding the mother with water, grated ginger, and sugar, as directed in the instructions below, keeps it alive so you can use it in the future for other things.
First you make the starter, then you make the kombucha. This tasty soft drink depends on the fermentation process in order achieve effervescence. If you’ve never tried your hand at making your own starter, don’t be afraid! Simply combine the ingredients, set aside, and wait for the magic to happen. The result is bubbly, tasty, and totally kid friendly. And within a few days, you’ll have a gingery beverage the whole family will enjoy.
Starter ingredients
- 3” or more fresh ginger root
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 lemons
- 1 cup of water
Fermenting ginger
- In a large glass jar, combine 2 tsp grated ginger, skin and flesh, and 2 tsp sugar to 1 cup of water. Stir well, cover opening with cheesecloth (or coffee filter) to allow air circulation and leave in a warm spot.
- Add 2 tsp of grated ginger and 2 tsp of sugar to the jar every day or so, stir, and re-cover, until the mixture begins to bubble (which can be anywhere from 2 days to 1 week).
- Once the bubbles form, you can make the ginger beer!
Ginger beer
- Boil 2 quarts of water. Add 2” of grated gingerroot (if you want an intense gingery flavour, add up to 6” of grated root) and 1½ c sugar. Let mixture boil for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool.
- Once cooled, strain ginger out and add in the juice of two lemons. Add in enough water to make 4 L of ginger beer.
- Siphon the beer into sealable jars or bottles—ones that have rubber gasket bail-tops are ideal for this purpose.
- Let ginger beer continue to ferment by leaving the bottles in a warm spot for about two weeks. Refrigerate once it reaches a taste you like.
Ginger turmeric cough syrup
- Boil 1 pint of water. Add 4” of grated gingerroot and 3 tablespoons of honey. Add one teaspoon of turmeric. Let mixture boil for 15 minutes.
- Allow the mixture to cool.
- Once cooled, strain and add lemon juice. Add water to improve taste.
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