The Many Uses of Ginger, Sheng Jiang

 

Oh the many wonderful uses of ginger! Ginger isn't just a spicy herb used for cooking up delicious recipes. It's also great for calming digestion, reducing nausea & vomiting, and relieving or preventing a cold.  Thanks to a recent study reported in WebMD, pain relief can be added to ginger's list of beneficial uses.  This study, which focused on exercise-induced muscle pain, showed that ginger was effective in reducing muscle pain by 23-25%.  This coincides with past studies that have shown ginger's anti-inflammatory properties.  

 

In Chinese Herbal Medicine, ginger or sheng jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) is warm and pungent in character, which promotes circulation of Qi and blood.  Proper circulation of Qi and blood promotes health and lack of pain.  Ginger enters the Lung, Spleen, and Stomach energy systems.  Because it enters the Lung, it releases the exterior and dispels cold which means that it is beneficial in treating the common cold or flu.  It's warming nature is helpful in calming digestion and alleviating nausea and vomiting because it enters the Spleen and Stomach.  This is useful for morning sickness or motion sickness from travel. Have you ever wondered why pickled ginger is served with sushi? In addition to warming the digestion, ginger is also used to reduce toxicity, especially from seafood.  In many herbal formulas, ginger is often used to balance and harmonize the rest of herbs to enhance its efficacy.     

 

Ginger is a great herb to keep on hand in your kitchen for not only culinary uses but home remedies as well. Try this if you ever have an upset stomach or feel like you may be getting sick, boil about 4-5 slices of ginger in water and drink it as a tea.  Or, spice up some steamed vegetables by adding a few slices of ginger into the water.  As you can see, ginger has many benefits.  Enjoy!