Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Put a Stop to Motion Sickness

Family: Zingiberaceae; (includes Turmeric, Cardamom)

Genus and Species: Zingiber Officinate

Also known as: Jamaican Ginger, African Ginger, Cochin (Asian) Ginger

Parts used: Roots

An old Indian proverb says, “Every good quality is contained in ginger.” That’s not much of an exaggeration. Fleshy and aromatic, gingerroot has been used in cooking and Healing since the dawn of history. Modern science has supported some of its traditional medicinal uses including its helpfulness in preventing motion sickness-and discovered several more.

Herb of the Gods

Ancient Indians used their native ginger in cooking, to pre-: serve food and to treat digestive problems. They also considered it a physical and spiritual cleanser. Indians shunned strong-smelling garlic and onion before religious celebrations for fear of offending their deities, but they ate lots of ginger because it left them smelling sweet and therefore presentable to the gods.

Ginger appeared prominently in China’s first great herbal, the Pen Tsao Ching (Classic of Herbs), compiled by legendary emperor/sage Shen Nung around 3000 B.C. As the story goes, this wise herbalist tested hundreds of medicinal herbs on himself-until he took a little too much of a poisonous herb and died. Shen Nung recommended ginger for colds, fever, chills, tetanus, and leprosy. The Pen Tsao Ching also echoed Indian practice, saying fresh ginger “eliminates body odor and puts a person in touch with the spiritual [realm].”

As time passed, Chinese sailors began chewing ginger to prevent seasickness, and Chinese physicians prescribed it to treat arthritis and kidney problems.

Chinese women still drink ginger tea for menstrual cramps, morning sickness, and other gynecological problems.

The Chinese also consider ginger an antidote to shellfish poisoning, which is why Chinese fish and seafood dishes are often seasoned with the herb.

Gingerbread and Ginger Ale

The ancient Greeks adopted ginger as a digestive aid. After big meals, they ate ginger wrapped in bread. Over time, the herb was incorporated into the bread, and this indigestion preventive evolved into gingerbread.

The Romans also used ginger as a digestive aid, but after the fall of Rome, it became scarce in Europe and quite costly.

Once renewed Asian trade made ginger more available, European demand proved almost insatiable. The ancient Greeks’ modest gingerbread cakes evolved into sugary gingerbread men and such elaborate confections as the witch’s gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel. In England and her American colonies, ginger was incorporated into a stomachsoothing drink, ginger beer, forerunner of today’s ginger ale, which is still a popular home remedy for diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

America’s 19th-century Eclectics prescribed ginger powder, tea, wine, and beer for infant diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, dysentery, flatulence, fever, headache, toothache, and “female hysteria” (menstrual complaints).

Contemporary herbalists recommend ginger for colds, flu, and motion sickness, and as a digestive aid and menstruation promoter.