Health benefits of Ginger

Traditionally Ginger root has been used against nausea and vomiting from motion sickness, pregnancy, and cancer chemotherapy.

Ginger belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, the very same as turmeric / curcuma.

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and reduces pain and swelling, making it helpful in treating symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Ginger also helps against exercise-related muscle pain.

Ginger is proven to enhance the cognitive power of middle-aged women.

Anti-cancer effects of Ginger:

The active compounds in Ginger, called gingerols inhibit the growth of cancer cells and ginger induces apoptosis (programmed cell death), where unhealthy and potentially cancerous cells make "suicide".

Ginger root extract specifically targets many types of cancer cells and may also alleviate chemotherapy-associated side effects.

High amounts of Ginger essential oil may protect cells and cellular DNA against radiation (at least in mice).

Other nice things about Ginger:

Ginger is warming and promotes healthy sweating, therefore it is used for detoxification.

Ginger root extract has been studied, and shown promise in the following diseases:

Indigestion

Acid reflux

Irritable bowel syndrome

Gingivitis (irritation, redness, and swelling of the gums)

Periodontitis (a more serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and bone that supports the teeth). Untreated periodontitis causes tooth loss and may increase the risk of stroke and heart attack

Type 2 diabetes

Cancer prevention and maybe even cure: Pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer

Protection against alcohol-induced liver damage

Age-related cognitive decline

Alzheimer’s disease.

Ginger is safe to use in modest amounts. High doses may cause heartburn, diarrhea, and irritation of the mouth.

Be careful with high doses of Ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood-thinning medications, including aspirin.

Ginger is easy to incorporate into your daily diet, here are some nice recipes

Chopped vegetable fry

Yellow Thai chicken curry 

Carrot-gingersoup

Pickled aubergines

Kale soup

…or just make yourself a cup of (ginger) tea

...or do as my friend just did: Juice it, freeze and lick it! 

Health benefits of turmeric (curcuma)

You have seen and will see that I add turmeric powder into nearly all my dishes. Ever wondered why?

Well, it's because it tastes good and has a nice colour!

and...

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) contains curcumin, which is a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties.

It is believed to protect against cancer and heart disease. 

Curcumin is a brain booster, improving cognitive 

performance.

Curcumin is also a neuroprotective agent, so it may help prevent some brain diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and even stroke.

It may preserve our precious mitochondria (the little energy factories in our cells), hence prevent aging.

Curcumin has been used for a long time as a herbal 

medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, digestive

problems (such as stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating), 

diabetic ulcers, allergies, cough, fever and colds.

It is currently being tested in an enormous variety of different diseases, such as:

• Several types of cancers
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Irritable bowel disease
• Peptic ulcers
• Crohn’s disease
• Reflux disease
• Renal fibrosis
• Liver damage, fatty liver
• Testicular damage
• Lung infections
• Fibromyalgia
• Eye infections

Curcumin has been shown to increase sperm motility -yes, that's the speed of sperm! (at low to moderate doses, so take it easy -because high doses decrease the speed...). And strictly speaking sperm motility is describing how well the spermatoza move.

Must reflect over this a little more -imagine one and the same compound to work both as a male fertility enhancing agent AND a male contraceptive; all depending on the dose.
All women between the fist and the stove; make sure you stash up on this spice!

Curcumin is better absorbed by the body when taken together with black pepper and it is fat soluble so a source of fat is helping, too. A great source of good fat is of course avocado, as are also nuts, olive- or coconut oil.

If something works, it may also cause some unwanted effects. Overall curcumin is considered very safe and when using it as turmeric the spice, it is even more harmless.

Should you inspired by these benefits decide to start supplementing with purified curcumin, do first some research and talk to your doctor.

Turmeric has very few side effects; but it can cause stomach upset or dizziness in sensitive people or worsen gallbladder problems

Curcumin might slow blood clotting. Do not use curcumin supplements prior to surgery, if you have a blood clotting disorder, or if you use anticoagulants. 

If you take low dose Aspirin, you should talk to your doctor prior to supplementing with curcumin. 

...and it's a very beautiful plant. Wonder if one can grow it in a pot at home? 

Update: A study published in June 2015; "Curcumin inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis in human osteoclastoma cell through MMP-9, NF-κB and JNK signaling pathways" adds to the anti-cancer evidence of turmeric. 

The apoptosis promotion (=programmed cell death) is especially encouraging!