of the effective ways of improving digestion and nourishing and strengthening the gastrointestinal functions, improving digestive system as a whole. It also provides relief in indigestion and upset stomach, increases energy and vitality, helps to alleviate flatulence and abdominal bloating and gas, high fever and helps to provide relief in food poisoning. Ginger tea is said to help in reducing weight according to the herbal medicines.
The practitioners of ayurvedic medicines as well as herbal therapy and Naturopathy consider that in the treatments of sore throats, gall stones. Infact ginger root tea is effective in treating Sinus problems, Headaches and Toothaches, Menstrual Cramps. Having anti bacterial properties ginger is used in treating gastritis and infections caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori and ulcers. Ginger provides protection to the digestive system by increasing the pH of gastric acids and decreasing the level of acidity in the stomach. This in turn reduces the amount and rate of gastric secretion and increases the activity of digestive enzymes, thus helping digestion. The most popular and effective treatment of ginger is the treatment of Motion Sickness or Nausea. It has also been found to be very effective in treating pregnancy induced nausea or morning sickness. Some health benefits of ginger can also be reaped externally. Ginger is used to treat abdominal cramps, joint stiffness, skin burns and inflammations and toothaches. Ginger compresses are also used topically to treat gout, headaches, muscular stiffness and aches, sinus congestion, spinal pain, stomach cramps and swollen glands. Essential oil produced from ginger can also be used externally to alleviate rheumatism. In Japan, massages using ginger oil are a traditional treatment for joint and spinal problems. Moreover, warm ginger footbath is said to be able to invigorate the entire body. In treating some fungal infections like athletes foot, ginger works well. It also works as natural breath freshener for bad breath.
Fresh ginger is essential to India cookery. It is used in pickles, chutneys and curry pastes and the ground dried root is a constituent of many curry powders. Tender young ginger can be sliced and eaten in salad. Sometimes green sprouts from the ginger roots are finely chopped and added to a green salad. In the West, dried ginger is mainly used in cakes and biscuits especially ginger snaps and gingerbread. Ginger is also used in puddings, jams, preserves and in some drinks like ginger beer, ginger wine and tea. Not only in India, is ginger used in the foreign countries to add a spicy flavour. In India ginger is mostly used by the people of West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and some other states to prepare spicy delicacies. Preserved ginger is eaten as a confection, chopped up for cakes and puddings, and is sometimes used as an ice cream ingredient.
Ginger, the Indian spice is not only reckoned as having culinary uses, it is also considered as having immense properties related to cure diseases according to the alternative medicines. The composition of ginger entails that it has a healthy balance of Carbohydrates, Fat, Protein, Vitamin, Calcium and minerals.
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
|Energy- 20 kcal
||Folate (Vit. B9)- 11 mg
|Carbohydrates - 17.77g
||Vitamin C- 5 mg
|Fat - 0.75 g
||Calcium- 16 mg
|Protein - 1.82 g
||Iron - 0.6 mg
|Thiamine (Vit. B1) - 0.025 mg
||Magnesium - 43 mg
|Riboflavin (Vit. B2) - 0.034 mg
||Phosphorus - 34 mg
|Niacin (Vit. B3) - 0.75 mg
||Potassium - 415 mg
|Pantothenic acid (B5) - 0.203 mg
||Zinc - 0.34 mg
|Vitamin B6 - 0.16 mg