Zingiber officinalis (Ginger)

Question 1

How do you recognise Ginger?

Answer 1

• The plant has alternate leaves with spikes of yellow & purple flowers
• Originates in S.E. Asia. It has been cultivated for at least 5000 years & no longer exists in the wild.
• India is the main producer with large amounts grown in China & Nepal. You can grow it in the UK in a greenhouse; rhizomes grow just across the soil.
• Used fresh & dried as a spice in savoury & sweet foods.

Question 2

What are Ginger’s main constituents?

Answer 2

Constituents:
* Most of the important constituents are found in an oleoresin.
* Phenolics: Gingerols (especially 6-gingerol), Shogaols, Phenylpropanoids including diaryl heptanoids, Phenolic acids
* Mono & sesquiterpenes: a-zingiberone, b-phellandrene, b- sesquiphellandrone, geraniol.

With drying: a-zingiberone & b-phellandrene decompose, gingerols convert into shogaols.
There will be more gingerol in fresh and more shogaol in dried ginger. Shogaols taste hotter than gingerols - dried ginger will be more acrid and hot than sweeter fresh ginger.

Question 3

What family is Ginger in?

Answer 3

A member of the Zingiberaceae.

Question 4

What is Ginger good for?

Answer 4

Summary: Warming rather than chilli ‘hot’, similar to chilli so great for blood supply, vigour, circulation, sweating, digestion and absorption of food. Anti nausea, good flavour. Bendle uses mainly for digestion, and chili for coughs/ cold/ infections.

Actions:
* Heating & warming!
* Stimulates circulation.
* Diaphoretic.
* Stimulates (& soothes) digestion.
* Anti-emetic.
* Carminative.
* Smooth muscle relaxant - antispasmodic
* Anodyne.
* Anti-inflammatory - blocks some inflam cytokines
* Anti-microbial.
* Possible anti-platelet activity (blood thinning).

Applications:
* To reduce nausea & vomiting – from infection, motion, pregnancy, chemotherapy…
* To improve peripheral circulation.
* Vertigo.
* Inflammation in joints – O/A & RA.
* Muscle spasm – GIT (anus pain!) colic and period pain.
* Gastric ulcers.
* Colds & coughs.
* Possibly of use in diabetes - hypoglycemia

Question 5

What is Ginger’s Latin name?

Answer 5

Zingiber officinalis Roscoe

Question 6

What parts of Ginger do you use?

Answer 6

Part used: rhizome.

Question 7

What safety issues might Ginger have?

Answer 7

Generally seen to be safe but may have blood thinning effect as reduces activiy of platelets – caution if people on blood thinning drugs so be aware.

Question 8

What useful research does Ginger have?

Answer 8

External links:
* Clinical aspects and health benefits of ginger (Zingiber
officinale) in both traditional Chinese medicine and modern industry
* Comparative chemical composition and antimicrobial activity fresh and dried ginger oils

Question 9

What remedies might you use Ginger in?

Answer 9

Dosage 1:3 tincture up to 10ml/week. More usually as <5% of a mixture.
Bendle prefers to use fresh ginger than dried though hard to figure out what fresh or dried is better for. In TCM dried is used more.
Bendles mentions this a lot, but for mixing he uses tincture.

Ginger is hotter than Zanthox and Chili hotter still. Some say one is better for central circulation, some on peripheral.