Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. It is widely used as a culinary spice and medicinal herb in many cultures, and is known for its distinct flavor and aroma. Ginger has been used in traditional medicine for centuries due to its health benefits, including digestive support, anti-inflammatory properties, and relief from nausea.

Ginger is a popular ingredient in many dishes, especially in Asian and Indian cuisine. It has a pungent, spicy flavor and can be used in a variety of forms, including fresh, dried, powdered, or as an extract. It is also a popular ingredient in dietary supplements.

Ginger is a tropical plant that can be easily grown in the home garden. It is a perennial, so it will come back each year and can be harvested multiple times. Ginger plants have a fleshy, knobby rootstock. The rootstock is edible, as well as the shoots, leaves, and rhizomes.

To cultivate ginger at home, you should start with a fresh rhizome from the grocery store. Plant the rhizome in well-draining soil in a warm area with access to indirect sunlight. Keep the soil moist but not wet and fertilize every 4-6 weeks with a balanced fertilizer. When the plant is mature, you can harvest the rootstock, shoots, leaves, and rhizomes. The rootstock should be washed, peeled, and cooked before consumption. The leaves and shoots can be cooked or eaten raw. The rhizomes can be dried and ground into a powder for use in cooking.

Ginger contains a variety of compounds that are beneficial for health. These include gingerols, shogaols, and zingerone, which have been found to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Gingerols have been found to be effective in reducing inflammation and pain associated with arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

Ginger has also been used for centuries to treat digestive issues, such as nausea, indigestion, and loss of appetite. Studies have found that ginger can reduce symptoms of nausea associated with motion sickness, morning sickness, and post-operative nausea. It is thought to work by blocking serotonin receptors in the brain that are involved in the sensation of nausea.

Ginger has been found to be beneficial in treating various other conditions as well. It has been studied for its potential to reduce blood sugar levels and improve cholesterol levels, and may also help reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, ginger may be beneficial for treating respiratory conditions such as colds, asthma, and bronchitis due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

In conclusion, ginger is a popular culinary spice and medicinal herb with a variety of health benefits. It contains compounds that are thought to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and digestive benefits. While more research is needed to further confirm the health benefits of ginger, it is generally considered safe to consume in normal quantities.

• "Effects of ginger for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a meta-analysis." M Thomson, R Corbin, L Leung.J Am Board Fam Med. 2014 Jan-Feb;27(1):115-22.

• "Is ginger beneficial for nausea and vomiting? An update of the literature." W Marx, N Kiss, L Isenring. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2015 Jun;9(2):189-95.

• "Ginger as a miracle against chemotherapy-induced vomiting." Z P Yekta, S M Ebrahimi et al. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2012 Jul;17(5):325-9.

• "Comparison between the efficacy of ginger and sumatriptan in the ablative treatment of the common migraine" Maghbooli M, Golipour F, Moghimi Esfandabadi A, Yousefi M. Phytother Res. 2014 Mar;28(3):412-5.

• "Efficacy of Ginger for Alleviating the Symptoms of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials." J W Daily, X Zhang, K Da Sol, S Park.Pain Med. 2015 Dec;16(12):2243-55.

• Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on heavy menstrual bleeding: a placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial." F Kashefi, M Khajehei, M Alavinia, E Golmakani, J Asili. Phytother Res. 2015 Jan;29(1):114-9

• "Comparison of Effects of Ginger, Mefenamic Acid, and Ibuprofen on Pain in Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea" Giti Ozgoli, Marjan Goli, and Fariborz Moattar. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.Feb 2009.129-132. http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2008.0311
  
  Conclusions: “Ginger was as effective as mefenamic acid and ibuprofen in relieving pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea. […]”

• Cancer preventive properties of ginger: a brief review Yogeshwer Shukla, Madhulika Singh. Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 45, Issue 5, May 2007, Pages 683-690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2006.11.002
  
  Conclusions: “Overall, a significant number of in vitro and laboratory animal studies provide substantial evidences that ginger and its organic pungent vallinoid compounds are effective inhibitors of the carcinogenic process. […]”

• "Molecular targets of dietary agents for prevention and therapy of cancer" Bharat B Aggarwal, Shishir Shishodia. Biochemical Pharmacology, Volume 71, Issue 10, 14 May 2006, Pages 1397-1421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2006.02.009
  
  Conclusions: “Extensive research during the last half century has identified various molecular targets that can potentially be used not only for the prevention of cancer but also for treatment. [..] we present evidence that numerous agents identified from fruits and vegetables can interfere with several cell-signaling pathways. The agents include curcumin (turmeric), resveratrol (red grapes, peanuts and berries), genistein (soybean), diallyl sulfide (allium), S-allyl cysteine (allium), allicin (garlic), lycopene (tomato), capsaicin (red chilli), diosgenin (fenugreek), 6-gingerol (ginger), ellagic acid (pomegranate), ursolic acid (apple, pears, prunes), silymarin (milk thistle), anethol (anise, camphor, and fennel), catechins (green tea), eugenol (cloves), indole-3-carbinol (cruciferous vegetables), limonene (citrus fruits), beta carotene (carrots), and dietary fiber.”

• "Efficacy of ginger for treating Type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials" James W. Daily, Mini Yang, Da Sol Kim, Sunmin Park. Journal of Ethnic Foods, Volume 2, Issue 1, 2015, Pages 36-43, ISSN 2352-6181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jef.2015.02.007
  
  Conclusions: “Ginger root supplementation significantly lowers blood glucose and HbA1c levels. When combined with dietary and lifestyle interventions it may be an effective intervention for managing Type 2 diabetes mellitus.”

• "The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes" Farzad Shidfar, Asadollah Rajab, Tayebeh Rahideh, Nafiseh Khandouzi, Sharieh Hosseini, Shahrzad Shidfar. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine. https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2014-0021
  
  Conclusions: “This report shows that the 3 months supplementation of ginger improved glycemic indices, TAC and PON-1 activity in patients with type 2 diabetes.”

• "The effect of ginger powder supplementation on insulin resistance and glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial" Hassan Mozaffari-Khosravi, Behrouz Talaei, Beman-Ali Jalali, Azadeh Najarzadeh, Mohammad Reza Mozayan. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2013.12.017
  
  Conclusions: “ The study demonstrated that daily consumption of 3 one-gram capsules of ginger powder for 8 weeks is useful for patients with type 2 diabetes due to FBS and HbA1c reduction and improvement of insulin resistance indices such as QUICKI index.”

Ginger can have interactions with diabetes medication or with anticoagulant drugs and medication for blood pressure, so its use should be discussed with the curing doctor.

Ginger for Nausea, Menstrual Cramps, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Video by NutritionFacts.org

Ginger as a herbal drug

Medical and pharmacological insight