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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2002 Ginger - Zingiber officinalis
Keeping the Plants Alive is written by Isla Burgess, pictures are by WhaleGrave Photos.
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The Old Ways
‘Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food' Hippocrates
If any famous quote was written about ginger, this was it.
Some finely chopped Zingiber officinalis radix, pinched seed pod of Capsicum cayenne, finely chopped Allium sativum, pared rind of Citrus limonum, 1Tbs of its juice, and 1 Tbsp of the finest organic Shoyu (OK because it is fermented), with some deep sea fillets of fish, marinated for at least 20 minutes then lightly sautéed in a little of the latest press of Gisborne's finest olive oil, (or any other extra-virgin that you fancy), together with a Tbsp of NZ's best butter (no other will be quite as good), served with a salad of fresh greens and a glass of the best local Chardonnay, (since I live in the Chardonnay capital of the world – Gisborne, New Zealand).
Is this food or medicine?
It is definitely food, but what about medicine?
Well!
The ginger (Zingiber officinalis) will improve your digestion and circulation, reduce any inflammatory process in your body and improve the absorption of anything you eat with it.
The cayenne pepper (Capsicum cayenne), will add to the circulatory stimulus, promote perspiration, improve digestion and reduce flatulence.
Garlic (Allium sativum), adds its positive effects on the circulatory system and its anti-biotic action. It is generally a panacea for a number of dis-eases (see Keeping the Plants Alive for Oct/Nov 2001).
Lemon (Citrus limonum)rind contains limonene (an anti-cancer phytochemical), as well as being anti-oxidant.
Organic Shoyu – a fermented soy product, no GE beans used and according to Sally Fallon and Mary Enig of the Western Price Foundation (www.WestonAPrice.org) these fermented soy products are better for our health. A little dash of isoflavones would be added here.
The olive oil provides some much needed monounsaturated fatty acids and because the western world is in danger of becoming very sad and unhappy due to the lack of good quality fats in out diet, a little butter (from pasture fed cows) will help.
Docosahexanoic acid and Eicosapentanoic from the deep sea fish will enhance the production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, reduce platelet stickiness (reduce clotting) and enhance circulation.
Add to this the range of vitamins, minerals and enzymes from the salad greens which must contain some mustard greens (for Phase Two detoxification of the liver), and a glass or two of the finest extract of Vitis vinifera to trigger the first phase, and you have the perfect medicine.
I am just off to eat and drink mine!
From Europe
Ginger is of course one of the oldest spices known and references to its uses can be found in all the early medicinal texts and as early as 3000BC in Greek Literature. From the University of Salerno in Italy, a pioneering medical School in the middle ages, it was taught that for a happy life in old age: eat ginger and you will love and be loved as in your youth! 4
From India
“Ginger is perhaps the best and most sattvic (life-supporting) of the spices. It was called vishwabhesaj, the universal medicine.” Dr Vesant Lad. 5
It is thought that it originally grew in Southern or South Eastern Asia.
The New Ways
Chemical analyses of ginger have shown it to contain gingerols, a range of volatile (essential oils), zingeroanes and shogaols.
So what does this mean?
Essentially it means that ginger has a range of actions in the body, cholagogue (stimulates the release of bile from the gall bladder) and hepatoprotective (protects the liver), possible stimulation of peristalsis and stomach secretions, a reduction in fevers, coughing, spasms, and reduction of the prostaglandins that increase smooth muscle contractions. Topically it is rubefacient (increases circulation to the area).
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What Plant?
A member of the Zingiberaceae family this perennial plant looks and grows like Turmeric, (see Keeping the Plants Alive Feb/March 2002) loving the same warm and wet conditions. It has a thicker, more irregular rhizome, giving rise to a reed-like stem and alternate pale green leaves. A number of greenish-yellow bracts and flowers with a purple lip arise from the spike. 3
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What Part?
The rhizome is dug when the plant has died down and is used fresh or dried.
How and When to use?
Ginger can be used fresh (chopped) or dried (powdered), in an infusion, as food, as a tincture or fluid extract, in oils, in ointments, creams, compresses and poultices.
For the person with poor circulation a cup or two of infusion daily may be all that is required. For others the addition of 5ml per week of a 1:1 extract improves circulation as well as absorption of the rest of the formula.
A ginger bath can be very relaxing for a person with arthritic conditions and can be soothing for those with skin conditions such as rashes and dermatitis.
It can be added to poultices and compresses.
Even the crystallized ginger is medicinal.
How To Prepare
Ginger infusions
To a cupful of boiling water, add 1 tsp to a Tbsp of finely chopped ginger root.
Cover and infuse for 10 mins. Add a little honey if desired.
Ginger baths
Add a cupful of grated ginger or ½ cup of powder to a muslin bag. Soak in the bath and use directly over affected areas.
Ginger tincture
250 gm fresh ginger grated.
850mls 90% alcohol.
Cover the ginger with 280mls alcohol and macerate for 2 days. Press out. Repeat with a further 280mls and press out, then repeat again with the remaining alcohol and mix the three collected extracts together.
Ginger oil
Finely grate fresh ginger root to loosely fill a small jar. Cover with a light extra-virgin olive oil and leave for 10 days in a warm place. Strain.2
Mucous reducing vinegar
To a quart or litre jar add 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic, ½ cup of grated horseradish root, a finely chopped onion, ½ cup grated ginger, 2 pinched cayenne pepper pods, and top the jar with apple cider vinegar. Use a plastic lid to cover. Leave to infuse for 10 days. Strain.
Ginger compress
Grate 30gm fresh ginger/litre of water. Tie in a muslin bag and heat to 70 degrees maintaining that heat until the water is a pale yellow. (Squeeze the bag regularly). Soak a cloth in the solution and apply as hot as can be tolerated.
Ginger ointment
To 30ml of the pressed out warmed oil add 5-10mls of grated beeswax depending on how solid you want the ointment. 2
Ginger cream
Add 10mls ginger tincture to 30mls Vitamin E cream
Garlic/Ginger drink Refer to Keeping the Plants Alive Garlic Oct/Nov 2001.
How Much To Use?
Infusion
1 cup 2-3 times daily
Tincture
5 to 10 mils per week
Mucous reducing vinegar
1 tbs 2 times daily
Fresh root
½ to 1 gm 3 times daily
Powder
1/2 gm 2 times daily
Safety
Normal doses of ginger have not been associated with any problems but large doses should be avoided during pregnancy, for people with gall stones and before surgery. 7
Ginger may increase the absorption of other medications. 6
Recent Research Reviews
Before 2000, many studies focused on ginger's effect in reducing nausea and motion sickness, its effect in inhibiting the Arachidonic acid cascade, thereby reducing inflammation, platelet stickiness and vasoconstriction. 6
Since then a review and several studies have focused on the anti-tumor actions of ginger. One promoted the potential of selected spice ingredients with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities including ginger, 9, 18, another that plants like soya bean, garlic, ginger, green tea, etc. may reduce the incidence of cancer by inducing programmed cell death. 15.
The ‘anti-tumour promoter activity in Malaysian ginger rhizobia used in traditional medicine was shown to contain naturally occurring non-toxic compounds that inhibit the EB (Epstein-Barr) activation, which, if further investigated, could contribute in the development of cancer prevention methods at the tumour-promoting stage'. 17
Ginger as a substitute for aspirin?
In a trial of 247 patients with osteoarthritis, the percentage of responders in the ginger extract group experienced a reduction in knee pain on standing that was
superior compared with the control group.10
Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy
Ginger was shown, in 2 studies, to reduce NVP. 11
Ginger is effective for relieving the severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy with no adverse effect on pregnancy outcomes.13
A systematic review found ginger more effective than placebo for seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy-induced nausea. A further two out of three studies on postoperative nausea and vomiting suggested that ginger was superior to placebo and equally effective as metoclopramide.14
Ginger, fat and fibrinolysis
In this study the ‘administration of 50 gm of fat to 30 healthy adult volunteers
decreased fibrinolytic activity from a mean of 64.20 +/- 5.31 to 52.1
+/- 3.20 units (P < 0.001). Supplementation of 5 gm of ginger powder
with the fatty meal not only prevented the fall in fibrinolytic activity but
actually increased it significantly (P < 0.001). This fibrinolytic
enhancing property is a further addition to the therapeutic potential
ginger'. 12
Gut movement
Oral ginger improves gastroduodenal motility in the fasting state and after a
standard test meal. 16
And its dose related impact on the CV system
At a dose of 4 g daily for 3 months ginger did not, in Coronary heart disease patients, affect ADP- and epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation. However, a single dose of 10 g powdered ginger administered to CAD patients produced a significant reduction in platelet aggregation induced by the two agonists. Ginger did not affect the blood lipids and blood sugar. 19
Recent Statistics
For the 52 weeks ending Jan 7th 2001, in the US $2,229,544.00 of ginger was sold.
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References
1. Sharma PV, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, Varanasi, 1996.
2. Burgess IM. Weeds Heal. A Working Herbal. Viriditas Publishing.NZ 1998.
3. Fisher C, Painter G. Materia Medica of Western Herbs for the Southern Hemisphere. C Fisher G Painter 1996.
4. Swahn JO. The Lore of Spices Nordbok, 1991.
5. Lad V, Frawley D. Yoga of Herbs, Lotus press, Santa Fe, N.M.,1986.
6. Mills S, Bone K. The Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Churchill Livingston 2000.
7. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions.3rd Edition. Eclectic Medical Publications, USA, 2001.
8.Zava DT, Dollbaum CM, Blen M. Estrogen and progestin bioactivity of foods, herbs, and spices: Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1998 Mar;217(3):369-78
9. Surh YJ. Anti-tumor promoting potential of selected spice ingredients with antioxidative and anti-inflammatoryactivities: a short review.Food Chem Toxicol 2002 Aug;40(8):1091
10. Altman RD, Marcussen KC. Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2001 Nov;44(11):2461-2.
11. Niebyl JR, Goodwin TM. Overview of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy with an emphasis on vitamins and ginger. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002 May;185(5 Suppl Understanding):S253-5
12. Verma SK, Bordia A. Ginger, fat and fibrinolysis. Indian J Med Sci 2001 Feb;55(2):83-6
13. Vutyavanich T, Kraisarin T, Ruangsri R. Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy:randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2001 Apr;97(4):577-82
14. Ernst E, Pittler MH. Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Br J Anaesth 2000 Mar;84(3):367-71
15. Thatte U, Bagadey S, Dahanukar S. Modulation of programmed cell death by medicinal plants. Cell Mol Biol 2000 Feb;46
16. Micklefield GH, Redeker Y, Meister V, Jung O, Greving I, May B Effects of ginger on gastroduodenal motility. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 1999 Jul;37(7):341-6
17. Vimala S, Norhanom AW, Yadav M. Anti-tumour promoter activity in Malaysian ginger rhizobia used in traditional medicine. Br J Cancer 1999 Apr;80(1-2):110-6
18. Surh YJ, Lee E, Lee JM. Chemoprotective properties of some pungent
ingredients present in red pepper and ginger. Muutat Res 1998 Jun 18;402(1-2):259-67
19. Bordia A, Verma SK, Srivastava KC. Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and fenugree(Trigonella foenumgraecum L.) on blood lipids, blood sugar and platelet aggregation in patients with coronary artery disease. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 1997 May;56(5):379-84
Reflections
Experience tells me that ginger is also a diuretic although it is not listed in the literature as such.
I have used it topically for women with fibroadenomas of the breast, infected axillary sweat glands and bartholins cysts. That definitely adds a little warmth to that area, in not quite the same way as the teachers at Salerno intended.
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