Last Updated on Monday, 6 February 2012 04:43 Posted by Home Cure Wednesday, 1 February 2012 02:44

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By Kathleen Roberts

Ginger is probably best known for its uses in cooking and baking, adding a sweet yet spicy note to foods. But did you know, ginger is much more than just a versatile kitchen spice?  Aside from its culinary attributes, ginger also possesses various health benefits that make it even more valuable to have in your pantry.

What Can Ginger Do for You?
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, ginger has been shown to possess a myriad of health benefits. It is helpful for both motion sickness and morning sickness. It is even helpful in treating nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy or surgery.

Ginger is also a natural anti-inflammatory and has proven useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis. If you have pain related to inflammation, you may find that ginger helps you feel better.

There are also studies that show ginger to have promise in treating high cholesterol, heart disease and even cancer, though more research is still needed.

Using Ginger
Ginger can easily be found where you buy your kitchen herbs and spices. You can get it in either powdered or crystallized form.  If you suffer from motion sickness, try keeping a bottle of crystallized ginger in your car to help easy your nausea. You may find the candy-like spicy-sweetness addictive!

Ginger can also be purchased fresh, to be peeled and used as needed in your meals. It can be grated or sliced for use in stir-fry, soups and various other dishes. Fresh ginger root should not look shriveled or dirty. It should always be firm and plump. Store it the way you store your onions or garlic, in an open container on the counter. You can also peel it, wrap it and put it in the freezer if you don’t think you can use the entire root before it goes bad.

Ginger tea is a wonderfully warming drink that helps ease aches and pains as well as aiding in digestion. There are many varieties of ginger tea on the market, so feel free to experiment and find which one you like best. You can also thinly slice fresh ginger into a pan of water and simmer for 20 minutes. Try adding cinnamon and honey for a tasty treat.

Finally, you can purchase ginger in capsule form.  This is a great alternative if you want the benefits of ginger but don’t especially enjoy the flavor. Whichever way you choose to use it, ginger is a must-have in any kitchen!

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REFERENCES

• Ginger – http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm.
• Effects of ginger capsules on pregnancy, nausea, and vomiting – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1925000.
• 6-Shogaol, an active constituent of ginger, inhibits breast cancer cell invasion by reducing matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression via blockade of nuclear factor-κB activation – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20718733.
• Anti-inflammatory effects of [6]-shogaol: potential roles of HDAC inhibition and HSP70 induction – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21864631.
• Using Fresh and ground Ginger – http://oldfashionedliving.com/ginger.html.