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! 

Memory loss in middle aged women

Middle-aged women are said to develop memory impairment.

Why is this claim not documented in the scientific literature for men? 

I do not know, but I think it’s because there is no noticeable difference to be measured.

But there is good news for us ladies going on our 5th decade and those of us who do not believe “Hot flashes are Nature’s way of preparing us for hell” –or any other proverb that gives the female middle-ages a bad name.

The rescue is:

- A sympathetic root that comes in various shapes that stimulates anyone's imagination in a good way;

- A root that has been in medicinal use for more than 2000 years in Asian countries, traditionally to remedy nausea and flatulence (=farting);

- A root with a tangy –even pungent taste, rounded by a promise of sweetness;

It is Ginger or Zingiber officinale and on top of the root there is a nice plant with decorative flowers. 

For healing, the root is the key.

Ginger root is good for nausea (all kinds of nausea, including morning sickness during pregnancy) and there is proof that it enhances the cognitive power of middle-aged women.

And you can even grow ginger yourself.

And yes, ginger is the cousin of curcuma, turmeric!

Here are two easy ways to add these benefits into your daily life:

If you wish to make your pre-, ongoing- or post-menopausal stage of life a happy journey you can simply slice up some ginger root, pour hot water on top and add a squirt of fresh lemon juice.

Or  try some neat recipes, combining ginger with various phytoestrogenes. 

If you are a middle-aged woman, you probably made it this far thanks to some of the inventions from modern medicine (called Big Pharma by some conspiracy theory-prone people).

Should you have children or grand children: Please try to make sure they are vaccinated against those childhood diseases that have disabling or even fatal complications.

Here’s a good one I picked up in public transportation in Switzerland:

This is measles in an adult. Bad timing and it may leave scars -but only when the virus is being kind to your body.

and:

(My home-country mentioned on Swiss public transport!!)

And if still in doubt regarding vaccinating your child (or yourself if your parents were übergreen and you didn't catch the disease yet), do read the facts behind the pics.

Admittedly these facts aren't nearly as scary as what the anti-vaccines propaganda people are posting all around the web. But at least it is based on facts.

Now let's all Male, Female, Child, Unvaccinated or Vaccinated go and and have a nice cup of ginger tea with a squirt of lemon juice on top!

Or any cup of tea. 

Peace.