It is interesting that many Asian countries have used ginger as a flavoring agent in cuisine and as a medicine thousands of years ago. Modern science and medicine continue to research the possible health benefits of eating ginger. It is quite unbelievable that they are learning exactly what our ancestors knew thousands of years ago. As we discuss the health benefits of ginger in this report, we do not recommend that you use any of the information as a substitute for professional medical advice.
Many of us consider ginger to be a 'root' but it is in reality a stem and not a root. Ginger is rightly described as an underground stem referred to as a rhizome. Researchers are convinced that the active components of ginger are oils and phenol compounds. The health benefits of ginger are attributed to these components in ginger. Let us try to list a few important medicinal properties of ginger.
Relieving Nausea: Remember mama giving us a few spoonfuls of honey with mashed ginger, when we were young. This to reduce the feeling of nausea, there are a number of reasons that can trigger nausea. Some people feel like vomiting when travelling by car or sailing in a boat - this is commonly referred to as motion sickness. Ginger seems to be efficient in reducing nausea, you can eat a piece of ginger or drink it in the form of hot ginger tea. Pregnant women often complain about nausea, medical centers now administer ginger extract to control this condition. You should know that, pregnant women should take guidance from their doctor before, attempting any form of treatment. The ability of ginger to help control nausea, also comes in handy when a patient is having a surgery. Feeling nauseous after surgery is considered to be quite common, the administration of ginger extract has been found to be useful in reducing such nausea. Chemotherapy is one of the prominent treatments for cancer, patients tend to feel nauseous after the treatment. Eating a few grams of ginger extract is likely to relieve the nausea. Most of the conditions that we have just mentioned above, are situations where medical supervision is desirable. You can surely discuss the possibility of taking ginger to control your symptoms with your doctor.
Anti-Inflammatory And Pain Relief: Patients suffering from osteoarthritis resulting in knee joint pain have found some relief after consuming ginger. The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger are most likely to be the reason for pain reduction. People suffering from chronic pain brought about by inflammation are often prescribed strong pain killers like Brufen. Getting even partial pain relief by consuming ginger, is a welcome option. This could in turn reduce the required dose of conventional pain killers. Professional trainers have often claimed that, regular intake of ginger helps ease muscle pains developed by professional sportsmen and athletes. Muscle pain and aches are not uncommon among people who exercise regularly. A daily consumption of ginger extract (1 to 2 grams) can help provide pain relief in such cases.
Helps Digestion: Some people suffer from frequent or chronic indigestion, this can often be accompanied by stomach discomfort and bloating. Medical research has concluded that, much of this problem is brought about by slow or delayed digestion. Eating ginger is known to help improve efficiency of the digestive system, this in turn eliminates indigestion and the problems that come with it. You could include ginger in food dishes, or drink it in the form of ginger tea.
Sugar And Cholesterol: Research into these health benefits of ginger is still in progress. The results so far are encouraging but, it is always a good idea to rely on medical advice when it comes to issues like sugar and cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. The interesting thing is that, patients undergoing treatment for issues related to cholesterol and sugar, are advised to talk to their doctor before beginning a regular intake of ginger in any form. You can read more about this in the below paragraph marked 'Caution'.
Caution: Pregnant women should inform their medical adviser if, they plan to eat ginger regularly. Patients undergoing treatments that involve cholesterol or blood sugar related issues should not begin on a ginger eating plan without, consulting their doctor. Do not administer ginger to children below 10 years of age. If you are undergoing any treatment including chemotherapy, that could result in nausea and vomiting - discuss the possibility of controlling the problem by consuming ginger with your doctor. Ginger could work as a blood thinning agent, this can pose a problem for patients going through any type of surgery.
Supplements: Ginger supplements are an option, doses are measured and in most cases it is only the essential ingredients that are extracted from ginger. It might be a good idea to begin by incorporating ginger into your diet, but ginger supplements obviously contain more concentrated doses. It might be a good idea to talk to your doctor before embarking on any type of supplement. You could begin with smaller doses, monitor any side effects and then look to go for the recommended dosage. Make sure that you read the above paragraph titled 'Caution', before you go on a regular plan to eat ginger in any form..