The benefits of ginger

By LoRayne Haye MS/CCN
Director of Nutrition
Eat-4-Energy

History
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has a long history of use as a “universal medicine.” The Greco-Romans, Chinese and Indians used ginger as a spice in their cooking and therapeutically as a medicine. In Sanskrit, the word ‘shringavera’ means horned body from which the Latin name Zingiber is derived. Eventually ginger made its way to England with the name evolving to ‘gingifer’ and a final evolution to simply ‘ginger’, the name we know today.

Ginger Properties
The Rhisome (underground stem) is the part of the plant that is harvested for cooking and as herbal medicine. This is the portion of the plant that contains high amounts of iron and calcium along with 600 other components such as gingerol and paradol. Gingerol is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Numerous clinical studies have substantiated the validity of claims (Careddu et al 1999) that standardized ginger extract is more effective as a motion sickness preparation than Dramamine with better tolerability and fewer side effects.

Ginger Numerous health benefits

Supports healthy digestion, offering 180 times the protein digesting power of papaya

Relieves nausea and motion sickness. Acts directly on the GI tract and not on the CNS

Contains at least 12 anti-aging components that inactivate free radicals

Reduces inflammation -cardiovascular, joint and gastrointestinal

Improves natural resistance to cold and flu.

Twenty-two known components inhibit inflammatory 5-lipoxygenase

contraindications
According to the German Commission E, patients with gallstones taking anticoagulant medications should consult their doctor or health care professional before taking ginger.

Dosage recommendations:
Raw/Fresh preparations: 2-4g. daily (Blumenthal et al 1998)
Powdered Dry Extract: 500mg. 30 minutes before the trip and then 500 mg every 4 hours until the end of the trip (Reibenfield 1999, Borzone 1999, Tenne 1999)
Tincture: 1:5 (g/ml), 1.25-5.0 ml 3 times daily (Blumenthal 1998)

Ginger and spearmint tea

2 peeled slices of fresh ginger root
1 spearmint tea bag or 3 sprigs of fresh spearmint
¼ teaspoon Stevia powder *Nu Naturals
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Place slices of ginger, lemon, and stevia in a teapot. Add hot water and a spearmint tea bag. Enjoy!

LoRayne’s Ginger – Berry Oatmeal *Amounts will vary based on individual needs.

½ cup oats
1 cup of water
3 slices of fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons fresh or frozen blueberries
½ Tablespoon of Flax Oil
½ scoop J. Robb Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
¼ tsp Stevia powder *Nu Naturals *OR 1 tsp. Maple syrup

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add oats and ginger root. It’s best when the oats still have some firmness. This allows the body to absorb them at a slower rate. In addition, the combination of flax oil and whey protein
The powder will allow for a much slower rate of absorption.

Lemon, apple and ginger juice

5 Organic Gala Red Apples
½ Lemon (includes the peel)
2 large slices of fresh ginger root

Makes 12 oz. *the amount may vary depending on the size of the apples and lemon.

LoRayne Haye MSCCN is the founder and chief nutrition officer of Eating-4-Energy, a nutrition consulting firm located in Encinitas, California. She has developed nutrition and fitness programs for five-star luxury spas, including Cal-a-Vie and The Golden Door. She is a noted author, public speaker, and frequent radio guest in the US and continues to be sought after by private and corporate clients for the development of nutrition and wellness programs.

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® Copyright 2008 LoRayne Haye Eating-4-Energy