Ginger: The tuber with “bite
The knowledge about the very special root tuber ginger has been guarded for thousands of years and slowly spread all over the world.
Today, numerous scientific studies already prove the medicinal potential and move ginger and its miraculous active ingredients further into the focus of modern research.
The campaign of ginger
Around the year 400 v. Chr. The Chinese teacher Confucius wrote about the health-promoting tuberous plant and thus spread the ancient knowledge of the traditional Indian healing art Ayurveda over the entire Asian region.
With Alexander the Great, knowledge of the healing properties of ginger eventually came to Greece, from where it quickly spread across the European continent.
But modern orthodox medicine displaced ginger as a medicine – for the time being. As an exotic spice, it never lost its importance, especially in England.
In Germany, the aromatic root was finally rediscovered in the 1960s and refined the German cuisine with its spicy notes and special pungency.
Small root, strong effect
Since then, ginger has been studied in more detail by modern researchers in various studies. Numerous modes of action of the miraculous root could be proven, which find in different processing various application possibilities.
Ginger is rich in vitamin C, contains important minerals and various components whose effects are already evident. However, the focus of the latest research is primarily on the active ingredient 6-gingerol and the degradation product 6-shogaol.
Gingerol is the flavor-bearing pungent substance found only in the rhizome of ginger. During cooking or a special type of drying, gingerol loses a hydroxy group and becomes a new substance, shogaol.
In terms of therapeutic potential, shogaol is considered the more significant active ingredient. In addition to the anti-inflammatory effect of the pungent substances, shogaol is also cytotoxic to cancer cells and is able to trigger apoptosis, the programmed cell death of a cancer cell.
Effects in connection with an improvement of the memory achievement are at present further investigated and make Shogaol also for the Alzheimertherapie a promising candidate.
More than a defense chief and pick-me-up
The range of applications for the healing powers of ginger is always wide. Not only do the ingredients already provide the most important nutrients for a strong immune system, but the essential oils and pungents have a general anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
Ginger helps against cold symptoms, arthritis complaints, migraine and menstrual pain.
Further, ginger can significantly reduce blood sugar and is therefore a valuable support for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
Digestive and thermogenic properties of ginger can alleviate stomach and intestinal complaints or additionally support weight loss.
The antiemetic effect, which suppresses nausea and vomiting, can help against pregnancy nausea and is already used during chemotherapy as an accompanying supplementation.
The ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells or even destroy them will soon expand the range of applications in cancer therapy.
Ginger Capsules: Ginger in concentrated form
So the root tuber is indeed a real all-rounder. However, the therapeutic potential only unfolds in the correct dosage and intake.
A freshly brewed ginger tea is just the thing for a cold, but for medicinal purposes, special ginger preparations, often in the form of capsules, are predominantly more suitable.
They contain active ingredients in different concentrations depending on the area of application.
Although ginger is a natural remedy, a doctor should be consulted in certain exceptional cases and in case of regular use.
Children up to six years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as people taking anticoagulants and people with high blood pressure or gallstones should avoid ginger or take it only after consulting their doctor.