The Ginger People - Health and Wellness

Ginger has a long and varied history for its use as a medicine and culinary flavor. The age-old beliefs surrounding ginger's almost mystical curative powers have traveled through the centuries and are deeply rooted in modern herbal medicine. Please note that the following articles and testimonials have not been evaluated by health authorities. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The following information and testmonials are provided as a public service. The company can not validate the claims, testimonials or effects reported.

Ginger and Morning Sickness: "Ginger could relieve the nausea and vomiting experienced by pregnant women, say Australian researchers. Ginger does not prevent morning sickness but it may help ease some of the nausea experienced by pregnant women, researchers reported in the April 2004 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Researchers from the University of South Australia in Adelaide gave nearly 300 women either 350mg of ginger or 25mg of vitamin B6 three times per day for 3 weeks. The researchers found that both ginger and vitamin B6, which is sometimes taken to counteract morning sickness, worked equally well at alleviating nausea symptoms. Due to the small sample size, the researchers concluded that more research was needed to determine ginger's risks and benefits."

Ginger and Nausea: Ginger’s ability to quell the queasies is its most widely publized product benefit. A 1982 study from Brigham University and Mount Union College in Ohio found that ginger was more effective than the common anti-nausea drug Dramamine in blocking motion sickness. Ginger most likely works against motion sickness by “interrupting the feedback between the stomach and the nausea center of the brain” says psychologist Daniel Mowrey, co-author of the Brigham Young Study.

Consumer Testimonial: “Dear Ginger People: I have a very dear friend who has had to endure several bouts of chemotherapy. I have always loved the flavor of ginger and often took ginger capsules for motion sickness. I gave my friend a canister of the Ginger Chews to take with him to the chemo treatments. He was very impressed with how well they curbed the nausea he had been experiencing with the treatments. I know he will be purchasing more in the future and I am recommending your products to others I know for the same purpose. This may be a niche market but I think many cancer patients could benefit from your product.” Catherine

Ginger and Motion Sickness: Why is ginger ale served on airplanes? Many studies have shown that ginger eases motion sickness and aids digestion. Commission E (a panel of experts appointed by the German equivalent of the FDA and considered to be the world’s most reliable source on herbal remedies) recommends consuming ginger to prevent motion sickness. In one study reported in The Lancet, ginger capsules were more effective than Dramamine in reducing motion sickness induced by a revolving chair. It’s no coincidence that ginger ale, as a soothing beverage, has been served on the airlines nearly since the beginning of commercial aviation.

Ginger and Arthritis: The consumption of ginger is a safe and effective remedy for the pain and swelling caused by arthritis. In one trial, 74% of rheumatoid arthritis suffers reported marked pain relief while 55% of patients enjoyed relief. In the same trail, 59% and 50% of patients respectively reported a reduction in swelling. Source: Odesne University. (Although our ginger juice is meant to be consumed, some of our customers pour it in their bath water as a rubefacient, thus eases their aches and pains).

Antioxidant: Ginger is a good antioxidant. It contains two phenolic compounds, shogaol and zingerone, that protect fats from being damaged by highly destructive forms of oxygen (free radicals). Source: American Health *1988, James Dulce Ph.D. *Ginger is a powerful antioxidant with more than twelve constituents superior to vitamin E. Ginger helps neutralized free radicals which are widely recognized as participating or being responsible for the inflammatory process. Source: Ginger East to West *1984, Bruce Cost.

Ginger and Virility: In the Latin work, Regimen Sanitatis Salerno, is it suggested that ginger was not only believed to have a powerful effect on the promotion of health, but was also heralded as an aphrodisiac and inducer of virility. Of ginger, the authors wrote: “Within the stomach, loins and in the lung/Praise of hot ginger rightly may be sung./It quenches thirst, revives, excites the brain/And in old age awakes young love again.” Source: Toussaint-Samat. A History of Food 496.

Ginger and Taming Large Animals: Horse traders are said to give horses a piece of ginger in the form of a suppository, so that they will raise their tails: an act reflective their physical strength and prowess. It is believed that ginger has a magical quality, said to give unique powers even over tigers, making them as gentle to ride as a horse. Source: Root. Food {Atrributed to Dr. Fallet}).

Ginger and Heartburn: "I notice in your health section you don't mention that ginger also helps heartburn. I have some meds I have to take that cause severe heartburn, and was told to try ginger. Tried your Ginger Chews and they are the only thing I can find that actually stop the heartburn. Thank you so much!" — Nancy Delance

Ginger – A Pain Fighting Food: Mounting evidence suggests that ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties. ‘And you don’t have to use a lot,’ says Neal Barnard, M.D. author of Foods That Fight Pain and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington D.C. ‘It works like ibuprofen, but without the side effects.’ Thing is, you need some ginger every day to feel the results. Slice a half-teaspoon to a teaspoon of fresh ginger and use it to flavor your stir-fry vegetables or sauces, or mix it with some boiling water and let it cool down before drinking. Source: Runner’s World

Ginger - A Natural Preservative and Meat Tenderizer: Ginger is a great natural preservative, bactericide and meat tenderizer. Nigerian test tube studies show that ginger extract is effective in killing salmonella. Indian studies report that ginger extracts inhibit the fungi that produce aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen.* One study at the University of California at Davis tested the Nigerian results. Researchers there cooked and then refrigerated pork patties. Some were unspiced, some mildly spiced with ginger, some more strongly spiced. Patties made with ginger stayed fresh as much as a third longer than the unspiced pork. The enzymes in ginger are similar to papain found in papaya, which gently break down proteins and tenderize meats. Source: *American Health Magazine

Does Ginger Burn Fat? Ginger is being investigated as a potential weapon in the battle of the bulge. Preliminary test-tube research shows that ginger boosts thermogenesis, or calorie burning. By measuring a complicated series of reactions in the tissue of rats, researchers found that ginger made the tissues use more energy than they would have normally. The researchers think the spice affects the nerves in some way. But we are still a long way from knowing for sure if eating ginger does the same thing in the whole body of a rat, let along in people. So for now, just enjoy ginger for the zing; if it burns off a few calories, call it a bonus. Source: International Journal of Obesity

Ginger and Circulation: Ginger is known to be a rubefacient, reddening the skin by stimulating the flow of blood to a given area. This property alone accounts for much of its ability to ease soreness. It is also a carminative (ridding the stomach and intestines of gas) and an aid in the digestion of fatty foods. Source: Readers Digest: Magic and Medicine of Plants.

Flavor & Fortune - Ginger in the Chinese Culture: "Ginger is a strenghtening or pu food that has long been used to maintain health. Confucius always had ginger when he ate. He approved its use at meals and during periods of fasting or sacrifical worship when other pungent foods were prohibited. After a woman has a child, she is thought to need strengthening and nourishment. Many Chinese, particularly those from the Kwantung province, long-cook a dish of several pounds of pigs feet, a pound or two of ginger, and a considerable amount of vinegar. The gelatinous mixture that results is quite tasty and thought to be restorative."

Flavor & Fortune, a magazine dedicated to the science and art of Chinese Cuisine. For subscription information, e-mail Flavor&Fortune@hotmail.com.