21 Feb, 2023
Ginger is used as a spice, flavoring agent as well as herbal remedy in almost every Indian household. It is rich in nutrients and certain bioactive compounds that have potent medicinal benefits. In the Ayurveda textbook, the properties of Ginger are mentioned as:
Ginger has Bhedan (purgative), Deepan (appetizer), and Guru(heavy) properties which promote healthy digestion. Ginger also helps to reduce the symptoms of cough, cold, and body ache due to its Vata-Kapha balancing nature. Consuming ginger before taking meals can help stimulate the taste buds of the tongue and provide relief in sore throat. Ginger helps improve digestion by increasing the absorption of food which leads to better metabolism. A good digestive system can aid in weight management. Due to this, the regular intake of Ginger water might help reduce body weight.
Ginger also helps manage cardiovascular diseases due to its antioxidant property as it prevents cell damage caused by free radicals. Furthermore, Ginger helps improve sexual performance in men by increasing testosterone levels (male sex hormone) and also improves sexual desire due to its aphrodisiac property. Ginger is also found to be effective for women in managing menstrual pain due to its antispasmodic and analgesic properties.
Drinking a cup of ginger tea before traveling can even help prevent the symptoms of motion sickness like nausea and vomiting. Ginger also shows beneficial properties when used externally. Topical application of Ginger removes excess oil from the skin and manages certain skin infections. Applying Ginger juice on the skin might help control acne formation.
Ginger is also effective in controlling hair loss as well as promoting hair growth.
In some people, regular excessive consumption of Ginger tea may result in bloating and hyperacidity.
Dysmenorrhea is the pain or cramps during or before a menstrual period. In Ayurveda, this condition is known as Kasht-aartava. According to Ayurveda, Aartava or Menstruation is controlled and governed by Vata dosha. So it is important that in a woman, Vata should be under control to manage dysmenorrhea. Ginger has Vata balancing property and gives relief in dysmenorrhea. It controls aggravated Vata and reduces abdominal pain and cramps during the menstrual cycle.
High cholesterol is due to an imbalance of Pachak Agni (digestive fire). Impaired digestion at the tissue level produces excess waste products or Ama (toxic remains in the body due to improper digestion). This causes accumulation of bad cholesterol and blockage in the blood vessels. Ginger helps to improve Agni (digestive fire) and reduce Ama. This is due to its Deepan (appetizer) and Pachan (digestive) properties. It also helps to remove blockage from the blood vessels by eliminating toxins and helps to maintain a healthy heart due to its Hrdya (cardiac tonic) nature.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic lung disease which causes difficulty in breathing. According to Ayurveda, COPD is due to an imbalance of all the three doshas (mainly Kapha). Regular intake of Ginger helps to reduce symptoms of COPD as it helps balance Kapha and gives strength to the lungs.
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