On Herbs - Ginger

Ginger or Ginger Root is a rhizome best known in America in its use in soft drinks and Christmas cookies and cakes.  Fresh ginger is used in many Asian cuisines, offering a spicy and intricate flavoring to many dishes - the most prominent of which is curry.  I grew up eating a variety of ginger-themed products, mostly the cookies, cakes, and sodas and was routinely advised to drink ginger ale if my stomach was upset.  Ginger is advocated by many alternative traditions, including Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, and has gained authentication as a valid therapy in western medicine. Ginger is a Group A herb for certain uses including an upset stomach and and a Group B herb for a wide variety of other uses.  For more on group classifications see the On Herbs post by clicking here. 

The Science

The science is in - Ginger has been documented as helpful with nausea according to the NCCAM and has also been approved for treatment for motion sickness by Germany's Commission E (Germany's equivalent to the US Food & Drug Administration).  This gives credence to the long-held tradition to drink ginger ales for an upset stomach.  However, I will note that virtually all commercially available ginger ales now contain no ginger (or ginger in such small quantities) that they are unlikely to be more than placebo. 

Additional Potential Uses

Ginger is also believed to aid in digestion, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and joint and muscle pain.

My Personal Experience

I've been using ginger for a long time to ease nausea and reduce inflammation.  Ginger teas have helped immensely with nausea in the past. 

Preparations

Ginger Tea
Orange Ginger Smoothie

Click here for the alternative road recipe page, which will include recipes for all preparations listed.

Additional Resources

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a Natural Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that talks about the science on Ginger.  Click here to read what the NIH NCCAM has to say on the subject.

The University of Maryland discusses the science and current studies on Ginger.  Click here to read what the University of Maryland has to say on the subject.