Ginger and its healing properties

We often struggle to choose the right remedy for our ailments. We are moving more and more towards healthy eating.  With many spices and herbs in our kitchen, do we wonder when adding them to dishes what they are and how they affect our bodies?

One of these is ginger.

The interestingly shaped and tuberous rhizomes of this plant, which resemble a reed, grow in almost all tropical regions of the world, including Jamaica, Florida, Brazil and Southeast Asia.

They contain essential oils with constituents such as cineol, borneol zingiberol, zinferon gingerol. These are what give the rhizome its pungent flavour. The greatest concentration of these is under the skin, so to take full advantage of its properties it should be peeled very thinly.

Ginger is a valued spice used in cooking especially for soups, sauces, veal, game and poultry dishes. It is added to marinades.

It is also valued for its medicinal properties. Its ingredients have a strengthening and soothing effect, treating many ailments. They are effective for rheumatic pains, support the immune system, lower cholesterol, stimulate circulation, thin the blood, remove gastrointestinal ailments, protect the gastric mucosa from inflammation. They are also likely to alleviate digestive disorders after excessive alcohol consumption.

How to use ginger?

Here are some examples:

For rheumatic pains: Eat portions of ginger-spiced broth 2-3 times a day. Prepare the bouillon according to taste, add one thinly sliced ginger slice at the beginning of cooking. When heated, the substances contained in the ginger are released and have an anti-inflammatory effect. In order to preserve as many valuable substances as possible, wash the ginger thoroughly, do not peel it, but grate the skin gently.

Adding ginger to broth or stock cooked from chicken also works for colds, catarrh and flu infections. However, in this case, the ginger should be added as soon as possible before the end of cooking - 1 or 2 minutes. This is where the essential oils work, so releasing them as late as possible is most beneficial for this type of ailment. One chopped slice of the rhizome is sufficient for one cup of broth.

To stimulate circulation: Pour 1/4 litre of 60 % alcohol over 10 teaspoons of ground ginger. Shake daily, strain after five days. Take 2 times a day 20 drops dissolved in a glass of lukewarm boiled water.

To lower cholesterol and thin the blood, take half a teaspoon of freshly ground or chopped ginger daily. It should be chewed thoroughly and drunk with a glass of lukewarm boiled water.

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