Ginger (Zingiber officinale) – Medicinal Properties & Health Benefits

INTRODUCTION

Ginger is grown all over India and is so familiar that it does not need much introduction. It grows underground and its edible rhizome is used for medicinal purposes. It is called ginger (adrak) when fresh and moist and when it dries up it is called sauntb.

APPEARANCE

It grows in fertile and sandy soil and its edible root grows underground. The leaves resemble bamboo leaves which grow 1-1 ½ ft above the ground.

PRROPERTIES

It suppresses kapha and vata because it is warm. It eradicates cold, cures swelling and oedema and relieves pain. It strengthens nerves and cures vata.

MEDICINAL USAGE

Headache:-

Prepare paste ginger root with milk and use this to give nasya patient. It cures severe headache.

Rhinitis:-

Give 2 teaspoonful ginger juice and add honey in it. Give this to the patient every morning and evening. It cures bronchitis, rhinitis, and bronchial asthma.

Cold:-

Warm 1 teaspoonful ginger juice and add honey in it. Give this to the patient. It controls the intensity of cold and cough.

Asthma:-

Give mixture of powder of pippali and sandbav salt with ginger juice to the patient , to be taken at night before going to bed. It cures bronchial asthma within 5 days of treatment.

Indigestion:-

Prepare decoction of equal quantities of tinospora, at is, ginger root and nut-grass. Give this to the patient, every morning and evening. It cures weakened state of digestive powder and cures colitis.

Digestive Powder:-

1. Give 300 ml yavakshar or 3 gm powder of ginger root with ghee, or give only ginger root powder with warm water, every morning to the patient . It acts like appetizer and increases  the appetite of the patient.
2. Every day, before taking the meals , take sauce of cloves and  ginger. It  purifies tongue and throat. It promotes digestive powder and strengthens the heart.

Anorexia:-

1. Cook ginger root and pitta papada and give 6-9 gm of it to the patient regularly.It is anti- pyretic and enhances body powder. It cures thirst and disinterest in food.
2. Cooked from of ginger root, chiretta, nut-grass and guduchi is also anti- pyretic and enhances body powder. It cures thirst and disinterest in food.

Vomiting:-

Mix its 5gm juice with 5gm juice of onion and give this to the patient.

Jaundice:-

Give ginger, triphala and jiggery in that order to the patient. It cures jaundice.

Diarrhoea:-

1. Give decoction of ginger root, belgiri, coriander, mocbras and netrabala to the patient. It cures diarrhoea and fever due to pitta.
2. Prepare decoction of 10gm coriander and 5gm ginger root and give this to the patient, every morning and evening. It cures fever, diarrhea and pain.

Swelling:-

1. Take equal quantities of ginger root, pippali, root of jamalglota, root of leadwort, and vadyabidang and mix with double the amount of baritaki powder. Give 2-4 gm of this powder to the patient with warm water, every morning and evening.
2. Give 5-10 gm ginger juice with jiggery mixed in it, every morning. It cures all kind of swelling.

Joint Pain:-

Cook 1\2 kg ginger juice with 250gn sesame oil till only oil is left. Strain the oil and use it to massage the joints. It gives relief from joint pains.

Thirst due to Fever:-

Prepare decoction of ginger root, Nut- grass, pittapapada, khas, red sandalwood, and sugandh bala.Give this to the patient. It cures the thirst during fever.

Fever:-

In all types of fever, prepare panchvidh kashaya of ginger root and dhamasa and give to the patient.

Burning sensation in fever:-

Prepare decoction of ginger root, gandhbala, pittapapada,khas motha and red sandalwood. Give this to the patient. It cures burning sensation.

Influenza:-

Give 5gm ginger juice with 5gm honey, 2-3 times a day.

Delirious Fever:-

Mix triktu, rock salt and ginger juice and give this to the patient every morning and evening for a few days.

Body Temperature:-

When the body becomes ice cold during delirium, mix ginger juice with garlic juice and use this to massage the body. It helps body recover the normal temperature and gives warmth.

Cholera:-

Take 15 gm ginger juice and 20 gm root of swallowworat. Grind the two till it forms a thick paste which can be used to prepare tablet. Prepare black pepper sized tablet from this mixture. Give these tablet with lukewarm water to the patient. It is beneficial in curing influenza. Similarly, take equal quantities of ginger juice and basil juice and mix a little amount of honey or morpankh bhasma (ash of peacock feather) in it and give this to the patient.