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Golden yellow like the majestic sun on a blue-skied summer morning, Ginger emanates warmth and stimulation throughout our physiology – one of the truest and most easily understood expressions of “herbal sunshine”.
The energetic language from a Western herbalist perspective would be warming, diffusive, and slightly drying – although as Matthew Wood importantly points out, its warmth and drying qualities are heightened when Ginger is dried.
Hailing from the Zingiberaceae family, and a cousin of Turmeric, Cardamom, and Galangal, Zingiber officinale – i.e. Ginger, is said to have originated in the tropical forests between India and Southeast Asia.
Dubbed Srngaveram, “horn root” (have you ever seen the sprouting rhizome?!), in Sanskrit, and Ingiver by the Tamils long ago, there is still debate on wherefrom the colloquial plant and its name originated. With the oldest recognizable cultivations dating as far back as 5000 years ago, it has been used in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine since antiquity, as well as being a staple ingredient in so many traditional dishes. Once Ginger arrived in Europe through the spice trade, it was also used by ancient Greeks and Romans.
When realizing the contemporary popularity of Ginger and understanding that it can only spread through rhizome-splitting, it becomes very evident that human beings worldwide and across many ages have found this shallow-growing rhizome unequivocally useful.
In more recent history, Europeans have also observed the medicinal qualities of ginger. In the 1850s, in Belfast, Ireland, an apothecary and surgeon, Thomas Joseph Cantrell, created the first ginger ale. Across the pond in America, a pharmacist by the name of James Vernor of Detroit also crafted a unique ginger ale in 1866. These early ales were thicker, sweeter, and darker than the effervescent light variety of today.
With broad applications, herbalists and plant healers have used ginger for a variety of conditions during the millennia. Aside from its abilities to stimulate and encourage digestion, mentioned above, Ginger is also a mild circulatory stimulant, antispasmodic, antiseptic, anthelmintic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic, and diaphoretic.
With the abilities of modern scientific research to single out constituents and investigate the way in which they interact with specific cell receptors and/or pathways, it is incredibly interesting to read about the research being done on some of the active constituents found in Ginger, such as the oleo-resins (gingerols and shogaols), or the volatile oils such as zingiberene.
Albeit interesting, it’s important to remember that herbalists throughout the ages have worked with whole plant medicine. Understanding that it is only in its whole form that plant medicine can maintain its inherent intelligence, and influence the body’s physiology in a balanced manner.
While being gentle enough to be used as a food, use in a therapeutic setting must be managed carefully and with the consultation of your physician, especially if you are pregnant, or if you are taking blood-thinning pharmaceuticals.
Its safety profile and mouth-watering taste (seriously – it’s a sialagogue) resulted in myriad preparations of Ginger into delicious accouterments or incorporated into traditional dishes by many different cultures.
From a practical perspective, Ginger is one of the best medicines to have in your home. With its warming, stimulating qualities, Ginger tea is typically one of the first lines of defense in my home. You’ll quickly find a pot of it simmering away on the stove at the first signs of a sore throat. It can also make a great base for countless syrups, with more herbs! I use it as a base for my Elderberry syrup.
When added to a meal, its carminative action and warming energetics stimulate the Agni, or digestive fire, increasing the digestive potential, and assisting in optimal nutrient absorption.
One of my favorite ways of using it, is making candied Ginger, for several reasons:
- Easy to take – put it in a container and bring it with you wherever you go.
- Kid-friendly. They are much more likely to eat it, they may even like it!
- Nice after meals – simultaneously satisfies the sweet tooth, and boosts digestion
- Can be useful for nausea, motion sickness, and vertigo
- You can prep a bunch of it in advance, it keeps well for a good while
Candied Ginger
**Disclaimer**
The information provided in this digital content is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. Matthew Wood, the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism, ETS Productions, and their employees, guests, and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.
The information provided in this digital content is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. Matthew Wood, the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism, ETS Productions, and their employees, guests, and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.
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