Ginger - Health Benefits & Medicinal Properties Of Homely Indian Spice

Did you know - Foods resemble human body parts! Rajmah looks like the kidney, walnut resembles the brain, sliced carrot looks like the eye, 4 chambers of the heart are mimicked by a half-cut blood red tomato. Isn’t that interesting! Which food resembles the colon? Oh common, give it a thought, it isn’t that easy. It’s the ginger.
That brings us to our topic – the irregular in shape but interesting – ginger root.

Ginger, as it looks, is a root belonging to the Zingiber officinale family and has originated in India, is used and produced extensively in India. Ginger has a strong pungent and refreshing taste. There are households in which meal preparations are incomplete without the use of ginger. I guess that has prompted the food companies to come up with ready to use-ginger paste. But, nothing can beat fresh ginger. It’s just one of those many masala’s we use in our cooking. But is it just a spice? You’ll have to read on to get your answer.

Ginger-Medicinal Properties

If you had some intestinal discomfort, and you happened to visit a Ayurvedic doctor, he may prescribe you ginger. Ginger in herbal medicine is used to provide relief from intestinal gas and spasm. So, not only does ginger look like your colon, but it also heals it. Ginger is also used as an anti-vomitting agent, especially during motion sickness and illness. A ginger tea or crushing few pieces of juicy ginger root in a cup of warm water must do the trick. We must really try these home-remedies rather than searching for our first-aid boxes or running to the chemist.

Need some relief from knee-pain? Try consuming ginger on a daily basis. Research has shown that ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. The active compound here is gingerol.

We all are aware of ginger as a winter-spice or as a home-remedy to cold and cough. Sipping ginger tea, ginger water, or may be dipping our hands and feet in warm ginger water will surely make us feel warm. But, what you don’t know is that ginger also promotes healthy sweating. Okay, now what is a healthy sweat? Healthy sweat contains dermicidin which is known to protect your body from invading micro-organisms. It acts as a protective shield or you could say germ fighter.

Ginger warms up your body. It increases your metabolic rate and thus aids in weight loss too.

Ginger-Nutritional composition

Fresh ginger is 80% moisture with very little amount of carbohydrates, proteins and negligible fat. Also, amongst other spices, ginger has good amount of magnesium. Magnesium is required for various metabolic processes that regulate blood sugar levels, blood pressure and nerve function.

The Chinese use the balance of harmony, the yin and yang, in all aspects of their life, including cooking. Many yin (cooling) dishes are balanced with the yang of ginger, most often resulting in both a spiritually and nutritionally balanced meal. Ginger does not have the eye-tearing effect of chillies, but it definitely heats up the dish. Next time, add a twist to your stir-fry. Sautee your veggies and pastas in some ginger root strips.

Ginger Folklore

As hot as it tastes, it can sizzle your love life too. For all the love-birds reading this, if you have already started planning for Valentine’s Day, be unique and propose your beloved with a ginger and cinnamon flavoured candle. (Please don’t come finding for me if the proposal gets rejected, but if it works out, then hell yeah! Scream and tell the world the magical secret)

Literature says that doctors would chew some ginger and then spit it on the operation bed to ensure success of magical operations. Planting the root or sprinkling dry ginger powder on pockets or wallets was done in olden days to pour in money.

So, Love, money, success and power – ginger is known to gift you with all these. Ghosh, these spices seem to be so mighty. But, of course you need to work towards your goal. Hard work and determination matter too, these magical spiritual stories are for your luck and mental support!