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Uses
The most common forms of ginger are as a fresh root (rhizome) dried and powdered (used in baking and as a flavouring in tea or coffee), pickled (sometimes known as gari , served alongside sushi as a palate cleanser), as a tea, wine and candied (I've used this as just a candy and for nausea- it's easier to carry in my purse). Ginger is also used as a flavouring in sodas as well as in perfumes and soaps.
As a tisane or tea it is used for nausea, colds, bronchitis, menstrual cramps, coughs, back pain and for digestive problems such as diarrhea, but it can also be applied as a poultice to the skin as a rubefacient to increase blood flow to the area particularly for osteoarthritis and muscle pain. In supplemental form, ginger is possibly effective for menstrual cramps, post-operative nausea, dizziness, morning sickness, and osteoarthritis. The essential oil is used as a compress in dilutions of 1%-1.5% for muscle aches, fatigue and arthritis as at higher concentrations it may irritate the skin too much. I use it aromatherapy blends for arthritis as I find it safer to use for people with high blood pressure in stead of rosemary.
Ginger is also being looked at as a cancer preventative and treatment in ovarian, colon and skin cancers.
Side effects, interactions and cautions
Ginger is considered as generally safe when taken in small doses (under 2 gm per kg of body mass) but some minor side effects that have been noted with ginger are bloating, gas, heartburn and nausea mostly with powdered ginger and too much tea (I did that once with too much tea, not fun). Caution is advised if you are taking blood thinners like Warfarin or Aspirin as it may increase your risk of bruising and bleeding. If you have a heart condition and are taking calcium channel blockers use caution as it may lower your blood pressure too much and cause an irregular heart beat (I learn something every day. I take a calcium channel blocker for tachycardia and didn't know this. I've never had a problem but then I don't have ginger tea often). Also, if you are diabetic, ginger might lower your blood sugar so be careful if you are taking medications to control your blood sugar as it may go too low, so monitor your levels and adjust your medications if necessary (under medical supervision). Ginger can also cause problems for people with gall stones as it can increase bile flow. Never take the essential oil internally.
How to use Ginger
The standard dose for ginger supplements is 250 mg four times a day by mouth.
An easy way to peel ginger is to use the side of a spoon.
Tea is the most pleasant way to take ginger and some like it with lemons or milk and it can be drank either hot or cold. I'm too lazy to make my own tea so I like to get the instant honeyed ginger drink from the supermarket.
Here's a recipe for homemade ginger tea from Smoking Hot Mom
1-2 Tablespoons freshly grated Ginger (depends on how much you like ginger, I like a strong ginger tea, so I use 2 tablespoons of ginger).
- 2 cups of water
- 1 Tablespoon Raw Honey
How to:
- Grate Ginger (if it’s frozen, leave the skin on and use a microplane to grate) into 2 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15- 20 minutes.
- Strain into a cup.
- Add Raw Honey (which is a healing food in it’s own right: it supports the immune system, soothes sore throats, and more)
Sources: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger,
Medline Plus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.html ,
National Centre for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine : http://nccam.nih.gov/sites/nccam.nih.gov/files/Herbs_At_A_Glance_Ginger_06-15-2012_0.pdf?nav=gsa
Aromatherapy: An A to Z by Patricia Davis
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