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.

On Herbs

Herbal remedies have been used for millennia for treating a variety of ailments.  But what are herbs?  I was most familiar with them in a cooking context - plants like thyme, mint, rosemary, and sage used to add flavor to foods.  It turns out that the term "herb" is given a far more generous definition as any plant and any part of the plant valued for medicinal, aromatic, or savory qualities.  From a medicinal standpoint, herbs can be an invaluable addition to the alternative road.  And there is emerging science to back up some of common wisdom.  Accordingly, a new series in the blog titled On Herbs will discuss the medicinal applications of herbs.

Information on herbs posted in this blog will attempt to classify the usefulness of each herb in a tiered structure, modeled after the Austrailan Institute of Sports hierarchy, as described further below. 

Group A:  Herbs included in this group are those for which good scientific evidence exists for defined benefits.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a division called the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and discusses a number of scientifically validated uses for herbs.  These herbs are virtually guaranteed to provide the defined benefit.

Group B:  Herbs included in this group are those for which some scientific evidence shows promise of benefit but the scientific evidence may not be conclusive.  I will also include herbs in this group that have multiple alternative traditions recommending them for the same ailment or benefit.  Herbs in this group are likely to provide the defined benefit but results cannot be guaranteed. 

Group C:  Herbs included in this group are those that have no scientific evidence of meaningful effects or that are recommended by only one alternative tradition for a particular ailment or benefit.  Herbs in this group may but are less likely to provide any benefit.

Group D:  Herbs in this group have been shown to be harmful or their benefits are offset by disadvantages.