(NaturalNews) The amazing abilities of the ginger plant to promote vibrant health and prevent disease cannot be overstated, especially because of how easy it is to consume both ginger root and leaves on a daily basis in the form of capsules, tea, extract, soft chews, and even slices or pieces added to various foods. Here are six specific reasons why you should make ginger a part of your everyday health regimen:
1.
Ginger helps treat colds, respiratory ailments. As highlighted in a 1993 study published in the journal
Economic Botany, ginger is a powerful expectorant, which means it triggers the body to produce more hydration secretions for the purpose of lubricating the respiratory tract. Ginger helps thin bronchial mucus in order to clear up clogged airways, which in turn improves breathing and lung capacity. (
http://www.springerlink.com/content/j312643x38882260/)
When treating a cough or cold with ginger, you can experience almost immediate relief by either combining it with tamarind leaves and brewing it in hot water, crushing and mixing it fresh with honey, or boiling it along with fenugreek seeds and mixing it with ginger rhizome juice. Dr. Deepak Acharya lists three proven ginger recipes for instant cough and cold relief in a recent report he authored at
GreenMedInfo.com:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com2.
Ginger helps treat stomach aches, indigestion, and nausea. Perhaps its most well-known medicinal proper, ginger's ability to quell upset stomach, indigestion, and nausea rivals that of many antacids and antihistamines. Numerous studies and user experiences have shown that ginger is a powerful remedy for motion sickness, morning sickness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and indigestion. (
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.html)
Dissolving roughly one gram of ginger powder in boiling water or another hot beverage is a simple way to prevent or alleviate indigestion and stomach aches. Even eating a soft ginger chew candy or two prior to riding the bus, going sailing, or engaging in another type of activity that would otherwise induce nausea, is often enough to prevent nausea symptoms from ever forming. (
http://www.naturalnews.com/034934_ginger_root_nausea_vomiting.html)
3.
Ginger targets headaches, migraines. Many people suffer from chronic headaches and migraines, for which few effective remedies exist outside of potentially dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. But ginger's anti-inflammatory properties are believed to be the mechanism by which this powerful herb effectively fights chronic head pain, making it an absolute necessity when traveling, working, or engaging in other activities that may trigger a headache.
Keeping a box of
ginger tea in your purse or car, or carrying around a small bottle or pouch of ginger pills, will ensure that you have quick access to ginger as an effective pain reliever. Dr. Acharya also recommends creating a ginger paste out of dried ginger powder and water, and applying it to the forehead for immediate relief. (
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/all-natural-headache-cures)
4)
Ginger helps relieve joint, muscle pain. Like it does with headaches, ginger can also help to relieve joint and muscle pain due to its powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Taking a few grams of ginger root powder, extract, or capsules daily can help significantly reduce joint and muscle pain, as well as symptoms associated with arthritis, according to a 2001 study published in the journal
Arthritis and Rheumatism. (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1665874.stm)
Ginger root powder can also be ground up and mixed with Castor (
Ricinus communis) root and applied topically to the skin covering painful joints, according to Dr. Acharya. (
http://www.greenmedinfo.com)
5.
Ginger helps clear out intestinal worms, parasites. If you suffer from chronic digestive pain or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), there is a chance the source of this discomfort is intestinal worms or parasites, which may also be stealing nutrients from the foods you eat. If this is the case, a great way to naturally rid yourself of these foreign invaders is to supplement with ginger.
A plethora of research confirms that ginger possesses unique anthelmintic effects, which means it is capable of destroying parasitic intestinal worms. It is believed that ginger's array of powerful enzymes combined with its stimulatory capacity make it an effective treatment for parasites, whether taken as a supplement or as a tea. (
http://www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=479834)
6.
Ginger helps promote kidney health, dissolve urinary stones. Since it acts as a warming, circulatory stimulant, ginger can help cleanse the body of harmful toxins, including those that build up in the kidneys. Particularly in people with diabetes, ginger helps protect the kidneys against diabetic nephropathy, or deterioration of normal kidney function. (
http://tribune.com.ng)
The mechanisms by which ginger stimulates proper kidney function are also linked to promoting healthy liver function and blood flow. In the former, ginger assists the body in converting cholesterol into bile acids. In the latter, ginger helps prevent blood platelets from sticking together, which can cause coagulation and eventually harmful blood clots if left unaddressed. (
http://www.vrp.com)
Sources for this article include:http://www.greenmedinfo.com
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