Ginger can best be thought of as a tuber, and throughout history, there have been recorded benefits of ginger that different generations have passed on to the next. Traditionally, you can either eat ginger as a delicacy, use it as a medicine, or take it as a spice. The cultivation of ginger had its roots in South Asia, but since then, it has spread to both the Caribbean as well as the region of East Africa. At times, ordinary ginger can be called root ginger in order to differentiate it from other things that also use the word ginger in their names. Etymologically, the word "ginger" comes from the medieval Latin word "ginginer" and the French word "gingembre." Ginger has many uses for your well being, and this list will educate you on the 3 health benefits of ginger.
1. Protection Against Diarrhea
When you have that funny feeling in your stomach and feel the onset of diarrhea about to occur, you can blame your failure to include enough ginger in your diet. The reason is that certain kinds of compounds found within ginger are an active agent that works against a form of diarrhea. This property of ginger is particularly useful in merely developing countries, where the rate of infant mortality is quite high because of diarrhea. Zingerone, which, interestingly enough is also the organic compound that is accountable for giving ginger its very unique flavor, is thought to be the active ingredient in ginger that fights against diarrhea.
2. Protection Against Nausea
If you have ever felt nauseous in your life, then you know how insecure and discomforted that sensation can make you feel. Ginger has been proven to be efficient at working to treat nausea that was caused by a multitude of things: morning sickness, chemotherapy and even seasickness. Some of the same research also indicates that women enduring nausea while they are pregnant can expect to get relief from ginger. However, nausea brought on by things like post-operative recovery cannot be counted as being sufficiently cured or reversed by taking in some ginger. A somewhat famous study was conducted on the TV show Mythbusters, where ginger was tested on a subject who suffered severe motion sickness. After being placed inside of a moving device, this subject experienced massive motion sickness. After a considerable number of attempted treatments, the subject reported that only ginger along with two of the most popular anti-motion sickness drugs worked for him.
3. Folk Medicine Usage
Ginger has long been used in folk medicine, and in this context, it is said to be a remedy against colds if brewed in a tea. Drinks made from ginger like ginger ale and ginger beer have been recommended for generations as a way of pacifying upset stomach and other stomach conditions. In countries like China, eggs scrambled with sliced ginger is viewed as a home remedy for bouts of coughing.
