Ginger is one of those herbs you don't want to be without.  Ginger can assist in Digestion,  help with gas, bloating and diarrhea;  plus it's imperative for Nausea.  It's also effective in reducing and often preventing stomach ulcers.

Smelling like a citrus heaven, it's compounds help the body absorb and use the nutrients from other foods.  In fact, drinking a ginger tea, which is sweet, child friendly and warming, is great before any meal, but especially before a large holiday meal; it will start the digestion process and prevent bloating and gas.

 

For Nausea, whether it's due to morning sickness, motion sickness or chemotherapy, drinking a cup of ginger tea can make all the difference.  

It has been proven to work better than dimenhydrinate (often known as "Dramamine"), which with long term use can inhibit the signals of your nervous system, cause forgetfulness, and decreases the amount of acetycholine, which signals your muscles to move.

For those with extreme morning sickness or Hyperemesis, who will struggle with dehydration and keeping anything down for any length of time, the best way to take this is a tablespoon every ten minutes.  It will prevent dehydration, and settle the stomach enough that some relief is afforded since it slightly sedates the muscles in your stomach. (yes, I'm speaking from experience here...)  It will also increase your ability to keep some food down.  Maybe saving you from a trip to the hospital, or better yet, allowing you to continue living in the normal world (LOL..).

Ginger is an incredible anti-inflammatory which can help with headaches, cramping, and even arthritis.

With more than 50 antioxidents, proven to increase concentration, it destroys free radicals in the blood that can lead to cancer and aging.  

These compounds are especially good at offering protection against colon cancer, and it lowers blood glucose levels by nearly 43%, showing an incredible benefit for those suffering from Hyperglycemia.

 

Ginger is a powerful aid in clearing toxins from the body,  in lungs, sinus, and the lymphatic system.  Being a "warming" herb, Ginger makes you sweat, assisting in the detoxifying process.

In Chinese medicine, ginger is used for Thyroid problems since it contains, among many other constituents, magnesium (for muscle relaxation) and potassium (for regulating fluids in the body), and gingerols which will help reduce thyroid inflammation, inhibiting the CO-X2 enzyme, which does terrible damage over time to the Thyroid, and therefore to the body's other systems.

So what is better...fresh or dried Ginger?   

Have you ever smelled the difference between store bought Ginger powder and freshly dehydrated?  If you haven't, your world is a sadder place.  The smell of freshly dried Ginger is incredible!  And when you dry ginger, it changes the potent gingerol component to shagol, which is then twice as effective in all the above areas.

Another way of preserving it, and having it at your fingertips is to tincture the ginger.  
 

Some of you may prefer a fresh Ginger Tea  , or even a sparkling, fizzy Ginger Ale, but for a simple, but effective dried ginger tea, here is my favorite recipe.

Ginger Tea (May be place in the Refrigerator for an Herbal Ice Tea)

• 1/4-1/2 tsp dried Ginger
• 1 C simmering water

Place Ginger in a cup of prepared water, stir, and place a saucer over the top of your cup (this prevents those wonderful volatile oils from escaping!) and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

If desired, add a slice of lemon, or honey to sweeten.  Try adding other favorites that appeal to your sense of taste.  Nutmeg or even  cayenne.

Learn to listen to your body as you scan your herbs and spices.  What you need will appeal to you.  Use your intuition, listen to that little voice that knows more than you think.

Let me know how yours turns out!

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DISCLAIMER:

Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or supplements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration, healthcare professional, or even the town gossip.

All information and resources found on Herbs and Wildcrafting are based on the opinions of the author and are meant for educational purposes only, I hope to motivate readers to make their own nutrition and health decisions after consulting with their health care provider.
Please consult a doctor before making any health changes, especially any changes related to a specific diagnosis or condition.
No information on this site should be relied upon to determine diet, make a medical diagnosis or determine a treatment for a medical condition.
I encourage you to do your own research.  Learn everything you can on any given herb or medicine, and in doing so, you will be coming from a point of knowledge rather than hoping someone else is right.  It's always better to learn from two or three good sources, and more if you have the inclination and time.