What Is Ginger Root?

Ginger is a relative of both cardamom and turmeric. It has historically been used as both a food and a medicine and is still commonly used for both purposes today. Ginger originated in Maritime Southeast Asia.

How to Use Ginger Root (Common Uses)

Ginger can be taken internally as a tea, powder, capsules, or extract. Ginger is also a popular cooking spice in many cuisines, including Chinese, Thai, and Indian. Ginger root works well both on its own and in combination with other herbs.

Medicinal Uses and Benefits of Ginger Root

Most ginger root contains between 1%-3% naturally occuring essential oil, giving ginger its spicy and characteristic fragrance.

When used as an ingredient in herbal formulas, ginger root can help to enhance the palatability of the formula as a whole, and potentiate the effects of the other herbs it is combined with.

Ginger is a commonly given herb for a wide variety of digestive ailments. It has a warming and stimulating effect that helps to enhance the speed with which food passes through the digestive system, and can help to relieve gas and bloating. For those who experience nausea due to morning or motion sickness, ginger is a popular choice. Ginger root is used as an ingredient in our Stomach Healing Tea.

As a protective herb, ginger root may be beneficial for helping to prevent digestive ulcers caused by stress, alcohol, and some prescription medications.

Ginger is anti-inflammatory, and may have benefits for helping to alleviate swelling associated with arthritis.

When taken during colds, ginger can help to reduce their severity. You can find it used in our Cough and Cold Tea, as well as our Lung Revitalizing Tea.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) commonly employs ginger root, however, its benefits in this context depend on if the ginger is fresh or dried. Commonly used in TCM for thousands of years. Fresh ginger (shen jiang) is generally used for damp coughs, colds, flu, and diarrhea. The dried ginger root (gan jiang) is usually reserved for deficiency related conditions such as cold hands and feet, as well as for digestive system issues such as nausea, gas, and vomiting.

Active Constituents in Ginger Root

Essential oils, monoterpenes, zingiberene, sesquiphellandrene, gingerols, shogaols, diarylheptanoids.

Notable Facts About Ginger Root

In China, ginger root has been use as a natural pesticide for aphids and fungus.