Ginger

Zingiber officinale

Parts Used
Rhizome

Herbal Actions

Carminative, expectorant, antitussive, diaphoretic, febrifuge, cholagogue, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiemetic, stomachic, hepatoprotectant, sialagogue, circulatory stimulant, antispasmodic, rubefacient, counterirritant

Energetics

Dry root: Hot, pungent, drying, vital stimulant, aromatic
Fresh root: Sweet, warming, drying (less hot and dry than dried roots)

The Zing of Zingiber

Ginger is not here by chance, it is here with purpose and intent. An interesting fact about Ginger is that it is a cultigen, a plant that is solely the product of human cultivation. It is striking to me that Zingiber officinale is not found anywhere in the wild. That means that some ancient human ate Ginger’s wild ancestor and liked it enough to learn how to cultivate it. As humans continued to grow it, they would most likely select the plants that were larger in size to propagate from. After thousands of years of this selective breeding process we have the Ginger we know today. This would also explain our modern Ginger’s absence in the wild. I like to imagine that this act of cultivation was one of love and adoration for this incredible plant. Perhaps the first taste of Ginger was so invigorating and different from all other plants, that our ancestors instinctively recognized how special it was. It is possible that only a few of Ginger’s ancestor plants were found in the wild, which led to people needing to cultivate it. Or maybe the humans that discovered it were migratory and had to find a way to take it with them to their next settlement? We will never know the exact reasons, but Ginger left such an impression on ancient peoples that they made the conscious decision to grow more of it.

Nowadays, Ginger has become so common to us as a flavoring or cooking spice, that it would be good to recognize and remember that this is a powerful medicine deserving of our respect.

In 1898, Professor William Bloyer of the Eclectic Institute in Cincinnati wrote about Ginger, “This remedy is so common that many of our text books do not deign to mention it; however, it is an excellent remedy and should have a place beside the capsicum bottle on the shelf of every dispensary.”

For historical reference, the Physiomedicalist herbalists of the 1800s prized Capsicum, cayenne pepper, as one of the most important medicines of that age. They considered it one of the purest of all known stimulants, that brings warmth and circulation to all areas of the body. It was added to herbal formulas to counteract the cold nature of most herbs and to increase the effectiveness of the other herbs. Ginger is similar in its stimulating and warming effects, though less heating and spicy as Capsicum.

Now it should be clarified that there is another plant called “wild ginger,” Asarum canadense of the Aristolochiaceae family that is native to North America. Asarum is not related to Zingiber officinale, although its roots have similar aromatic qualities to Zingiber. There is some record of Asarum being used medicinally by Native Americans, but research today has found it to contain aristolochic acid, a carcinogenic compound that is toxic and damaging to the kidneys. Asarum canadense is a beautiful plant with unique flowers that can be found in the understory of deciduous forests, but should not be used as a substitute for true Ginger, Zingiber officinale.

Zingiber officinale

True Ginger

Asarum canadense

"Wild Ginger"

When researching Ginger’s history, the earliest evidence of its cultivation is among the Austronesian peoples of the south Pacific region. There were multiple sea-faring civilizations in this area, and it appears that ginger was brought along as they explored the islands of the region. Ginger made its way to ancient China, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and India. From India it went to the Middle East, then on to the Mediterranean, and finally made its way to the Caribbean. The first written record of Ginger can be found in the Analects, a collection of sayings and ideas of Confucius written by his disciples around 475 BCE in China. It states that Confucius ate ginger with every meal. Ginger came to the Mediterranean around the 1st century AD, and was described by Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, and Ptolemy. In the Roman Empire, Ginger was an expensive herbal remedy for kidney ailments that only the wealthy could access. During the Middle Ages, Ginger became known primarily as a culinary ingredient and was being imported to be used in sweets. Recipes for gingerbread are found as early as the 15th century. In England during the 16th century, it is said that Queen Elizabeth I requested that gingerbread be made into the shape of some of her important guests, which is how the human shape of gingerbread men came about.

Ginger beer was invented during the 1700s in Yorkshire, England and continued to increase in popularity well into the early 1900s. It was originally brewed like beer, using yeast, ginger roots and sugar. Ginger bug is a starter culture used to ferment drinks, and is made from fresh ginger root, water and sugar. Ginger ale was invented later in the 1800s, with the difference being it is not brewed with yeast like Ginger beer. There are a few different people who claim to have invented Ginger ale. Thomas Joseph Cantrell, an apothecary and surgeon from Dublin, Ireland, created a drink called “Golden Ginger Ale” which was a dark golden color, very sweet and had a strong pungent ginger flavor. In Canada, chemist and pharmacist John J. McLaughlin invented “dry ginger ale” which was soda water with ginger extract added to it. This version was patented in 1907 and became Canada Dry Ginger Ale, which can still be found today. American James Vernon, a pharmacist from Detroit, Michigan, created a golden ginger ale in 1866 that he sold at his soda fountain. He was experimenting with a medicinal tonic to calm the stomach and came up with a combination of ginger, vanilla, and spices. Ginger ale is still recommended today as a calming agent for an upset stomach, although most Ginger ale sodas contain very little if any actual Ginger extract.

It is the root, or the rhizome to be more botanically accurate, that is the part consumed as food and medicine. When eaten fresh it has a spicy zing that immediately stimulates saliva and warms your mouth, throat, and stomach. Ginger is in the same plant family as Turmeric, Cardamom, and Galangal. The origins of the name go back 3000 years to the Sanskrit word “srngaveram”, meaning “horn root” as it describes its shape. The Latin name Zingiber comes from the word “zinziberi,” and the Greeks called Ginger “ziggiberis.” It has been used as a medicinal tonic in China and India for over thousands of years. In Traditional Chinese Medicine today it is used for digestive complaints including nausea, indigestion, slow digestion, and diarrhea. In India, Ginger is a staple cooking ingredient found in most dishes and curries. In Ayurvedic medicine from India they think of Ginger as a “universal medicine” because of its wide array of uses. They use it for arthritis, asthma, coughs, nausea, headaches, menstrual cramps, and digestive support. Today, the world’s largest grower of Ginger is India and they produce over 4 million metric tons of it each year. There is a growing amount of research on the health benefits of Ginger, with most of the research focusing on its antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and its potential use for cancer treatments. Ginger has been an intentional companion with humans for many thousands of years, and we should take that as a lesson to incorporate it into our daily lives for overall health.

Medicinal Use

Ginger is first and foremost a warming, circulatory stimulant. You will know this immediately upon tasting fresh ginger. It has a spicy, zingy, tingling sensation that immediately stimulates the mouth to salivate. For some people, a bite of fresh ginger will clear the nose and sinuses and cause the eyes to water. That zing continues as you swallow the juices and it begins to feel warm in your stomach. It has a powerful stimulating effect that can be readily felt. Ginger is specific for people who tend to feel cold, especially cold hands and feet. This doesn’t mean that people with warm constitutions cannot take Ginger, they can and should, but it would be best to start with lower doses and use for short periods of time. Ginger is a powerful antioxidant that affects many different body systems including the heart, blood vessels, muscles, joint, liver, stomach, and lungs. Ginger is a wonderful addition to herbal formulas to help counteract the cold nature of most plants, and through its warming actions it helps to increase the effectiveness of the other herbs in the formula.

“Ginger root is one of the most pleasant of all the stimulating aromatics, and deserves to be valued as one of the most reliable diffusives of the Materia Medica. The warm infusion promotes gentle and warm perspiration, favors an outward arterial flow, increases the mucous flow of the lungs and bowels, and relieves flatulence, internal congestions, and light spasmodic tendencies.”

~ Dr. William Cook, MD

1869

Digestion, Stomach, Nausea

Ginger is a carminative and stomachic, which means it supports digestion and the functions of the stomach. Healthy digestion is critically important to overall health. If food is not being broken down properly then the body cannot replenish itself. Digestion is where food is transformed into the tissues of the body. The stomach requires warmth to break down food. In Ayurveda, they explain this process as “digestive fire” or Agni, and it is responsible for the digestion, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients. If digestive fire is weakened, then food is not being completely broken down. This leads to the malabsorption of nutrients in the small intestines. A disruption in this process has an effect on all other systems. Ginger’s stimulating and warming effect on digestion keeps the digestive fire roaring and ready to break down food into the nutrients we need for overall health.

“If ginger is not within your line, add it now. It is a stimulant to the digestive tract, and, after all, everything depends upon digestion and assimilation. It can be added to other remedies to promote warmth and to give flavor.”

~ Professor William Bloyer, Eclectic Institute of Cincinnati, 1898

Ginger is most famous for relieving nausea of all kinds, including motion sickness, morning sickness, and side effects from chemotherapy. For motion sickness (car, train, airplane, boat) it is most effective if taken a few hours before traveling. Ginger’s stimulation of saliva also stimulates the production of digestive secretions as well as supporting bile production in the liver. It helps relieve indigestion, slow digestion, cramping, bloating, gas, nausea, sluggish bowels, and diarrhea. There are some new studies showing that fresh Ginger helps protect stomach lining from ulceration.

Circulation & Heart

This warming and stimulating effect in the body explains why Ginger is a circulatory herb. It stimulates blood flow while also relaxing the blood vessels (vasodilator), which in turn increases oxygen and nutrients being carried throughout the body. Ginger is also an anticoagulant and has blood thinning properties that prevents arterial plaque and the formation of blood clots. Its antioxidant properties support healthy heart muscle and protect blood vessel integrity.

Menses & Morning Sickness

Due to Ginger’s stimulating effects on the circulatory system, it also increases the circulation of blood to the pelvic area. This can have an effect on menstruation and is considered a mild emmenagogue. For someone with scant menses and amenorrhea, it has the potential to help bring on a more regular menses. Ginger also has antispasmodic properties that can reduce cramping as it promotes menstrual flow. There is contradictory information in the herbal world about the safety of using Ginger during pregnancy. Many people will advise against it out of an abundance of caution. But Ginger is also a premier remedy for nausea which affects many women during the first trimester. The first trimester is also where you have to be the most careful when taking stimulating herbs. Ginger is generally safe in low doses in healthy, low-risk pregnancies. Paul Bergner advises “…lower doses, one gram a day and under (of dried root), have been found both safe and effective for morning sickness.” Paul also recommends that the safest method might be a tea of fresh Ginger root and taken in sips to help alleviate morning sickness and nausea.

Anti-inflammatory & Antioxidant properties

Ginger has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in both dry and fresh forms. Fresh Ginger contains numerous proteolytic enzymes, which break down proteins. One of these enzymes is called Zingibain, which is more potent than papain, a proteolytic enzyme that comes from papayas. Modern medicine is studying the many bioactive components of Ginger. There are hundreds of chemical compounds found in Ginger, and only 100 have been identified, labeled, and studied. There are two categories of plant constituents that have been studied the most, gingerols and shogaols. Testing has shown that both plant constituents are present, but fresh Ginger has a higher concentration of gingerols, and dried Ginger has more shogaols. Ginger also contains a very high concentration of antioxidants, and is comparable to the antioxidant levels of dark purple berries. Science backed studies have shown that Ginger has the ability to inhibit the formation of prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which is a part of the cycle of inflammation. Even without the confirmation of science, anyone who has taken Ginger therapeutically can attest to its ability to reduce pain and discomfort from inflammation. The antioxidant properties of Ginger also extend to protecting the liver and reducing liver toxicity.

Cold and Flu

Ginger is comforting during a cold or flu infection. A hot infusion of ginger with fresh lemon juice and honey is very soothing for the symptoms of a cold. It helps open up the lungs, thins mucous, mildly stimulates expectoration, and can help calm a dry, spasmodic cough. It is an effective diaphoretic that promotes sweating during a fever. It also helps soothe the digestive tract, which is often a secondary complaint to the fever and body aches. Ginger is mild enough for children and the elderly.

Topical Uses

Ginger can be made into a poultice and used topically as a counterirritant for arthritis. To alleviate muscle cramps, swellings, boils, and abscesses, a hot compress can be used. See below for instructions on how to make these preparations.

Preparation & Dosage

Decoction

Fresh or dried root, drink 8-12 oz, up to 3-4 x day.

Infusion (more mild)

Fresh or dried root, drink 8-12 oz, up to 3-4 x day.

Fresh Ginger Tea Recipe from Paul Bergner:

Slice a fresh ginger root about the size of your thumb into thin slices. Place in a quart of water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on the lowest possible heat for thirty minutes in a covered pot. Let cool for thirty more minutes. Strain and drink 1/2 to 1 cup, sweetened with honey, as desired.

Tincture

Fresh root: 10-60 drops, up to 3 x day

Dried root: 5-30 drops, up to 3x day

Juice

Fresh root: 1-2 oz per day

Honey/syrup 1-2 oz per day

Poultice

Decoct fresh or dried roots in water for 30 mins. Take off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Place the root material into a piece of cheesecloth and fold the cheesecloth to keep the material contained. Place the bundle of root material over the afflicted area and wrap with a towel or even plastic wrap to keep it in place. You can place a heating pad on top of it to increase circulation to the area. Repeat as needed.

Hot Compress (also called a fomentation)

Decoct fresh or dried roots in water for 30 minutes, let cool for 10 minutes and then strain. Take a washcloth or towel and soak it in the decocted liquid. Wrap the soaked towel around the afflicted area, wrap it to keep it in place. You can place a heating pad on top of it to increase circulation to the area. Repeat as needed.

Contraindications

Do not consume large doses during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Not for use in people with active peptic ulcers, acid reflux, heartburn, night sweats or hot flashes. Do not consume large, daily doses if taking anticoagulant prescription medication.

References

Bergner, Paul. Folk Remedies Database. Boulder: Bergner Communications, 2001.
Bergner, Paul. Medical Herbalism: Materia Medica and Pharmacy. Boulder, CO: Bergner Communications, 2001.
Cook M.D., William H. The Physiomedical Dispensatory, 1869. Reprints, Boulder: Medical Herbalism, 2007.
Felter M.D., Harvey Wickes. The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 1922. Reprint. Bisbee: Southwest School of Botanical Medicine, 2003.
Hutchens, Alma R. Indian Herbalogy of North America. Windsor, ON: Merco, 1973.
Sinadinos, Christa. The Essential Guide to Western Botanical Medicine. Fieldbrook, CA: Self Published, 2020.
Tilgner, Dr. Sharol Marie. Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth, 3rd Edition. Pleasant Hill: Wise Acres LLC, 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/

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