101 Foods That Could Save Your Life

Did you know … at one time, it was popular to sprinkle fresh ginger in steins of beer at English pubs, hence the name and origin of “ginger ale”?

Though often referred to as a root, ginger is actually a reedlike herb that has rough, knotty rhizomes (underground stems). There are several different varieties to choose from, including the most popular kind, called Jamaican, African/Indian that features a darker skin, and Kenyan varieties that come in white, red and yellow.

The origins of ginger can be traced back to south-eastern Asia, China and India, where its use as a culinary spice dates back at least 4,400 years. Romans brought ginger from China nearly 2,000 years ago and its popularity spread throughout Europe. In the 1850s, many English and Irish pubs and restaurants featured fresh ginger on every table, much like salt and pepper today. Spaniards brought ginger to the Western Hemisphere, introducing it throughout South America and Mexico.

India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines and Thailand currently are the main ginger producers. In the United States, ginger is grown mostly in California, Hawaii and Florida.

Ginger is a rich source of powerful antioxidants such as gingerols, shogaols and zingerones.

Ginger has been used as a home remedy through many generations for treating a variety of conditions. It has been taken internally for loss of appetite, stomach upset, diarrhoea, stomach ache, colic, dyspepsia, flatulence, post-surgical pain, motion and morning sickness, general and chemotherapy-induced nausea, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, migraine headache, upper respiratory tract infections, cough and bronchitis. Topically, it has been used for treating thermal burns and as an analgesic.

MORNING SICKNESS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial found that 125mg of ginger extract consumed four times per day for four days significantly reduced morning sickness in women less than 20 weeks pregnant. A trial investigated the effect of 1.05 grams of ginger on nausea and vomiting among women less than 16 weeks pregnant. Fifty-three per cent of women consuming the ginger capsule reported a reduction in both nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy.

MOTION SICKNESS: Two double-blind studies showed that ginger had a significant effect on preventing and treating motion sickness.

OSTEOARTHRITIS: In a randomized, double-blind study, researchers found that those participants with osteoarthritis who had consumed ginger extract experienced much greater reduction in knee pain than those in the control group.

CANCER: A mouse study found that the antioxidant 6-gingerol, which gives ginger its flavour, resulted in fewer tumours and their size was considerably smaller than those of mice who did not receive gingerol.

OVARIAN CANCER: Ginger induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagy (cells digesting themselves) in ovarian cancer cells. Ginger was also effective at controlling inflammation, thus stopping the cancer cells from growing.

COLON CANCER: Ginger was found to protect against the formation of colon cancer in mice injected with cancer cells.

Ginger has blood-thinning qualities and may be contraindicated if you are on blood thinners. Check with your doctor or a registered dietitian for advice on the inclusion of ginger.

• Ginger can be found fresh, pickled, dried or in powdered form.

• Choose fresh ginger that is free from bruises, and light brown to cream in colour.

• Fresh ginger should be stored at room temperature.

• Fresh ginger provides the freshest taste and can be shredded, finely minced, sliced or grated, and does not have to be peeled.

• Fresh ginger can be successfully substituted for ground ginger and should be done at a six-to-one ratio, fresh to ground ginger respectively.

• The centre of the root is more fibrous and contains the most powerful flavours.

• When shredding, be sure to shred in the direction of the fibres.

• Slice fresh ginger and enjoy on top of a bed of lettuce or boil to make a soothing tea.

• Use dried or powdered ginger to spice up any main dish or to make a delicious marinade.

• Use pickled ginger as an accompaniment to main Asian dishes or to beautifully garnish a meal.