Ginger is a magic root!

Fact: The east has long known the goodness of this root and has been using it in their cooking regularly. Many Indian dishes (and other Asian dishes) especially meat dishes have a Ginger as an ingredient.
Benefit: There is a reason behind this; Ginger helps produce Amylase, Protease two digestive enzymes - former helps break down starch into maltose and latter helps break down protein into smaller amino acids. Ginger has abundant ulcer preventing properties. It is interesting to see Ginger treats opposites - treats constipation and diarrhea while relieving nausea, inhibits toxic bacteria while promoting friendly species of bacteria in the digestive tract. This home medicine helps you leaps and bounds to improve your digestion. See home remedy at the end of this hub for a recipe.

Fact: Ginger has several interesting constituent, the main one being gingerol, a strong free-radical that acts as an antioxidant.
Benefits: This helps reduce nausea by blocking serotonin receptors in the stomach that cause nausea. Recent research is being done to administer ginger powder or extracts to cancer patients under going chemotherapy (that causes nausea). The results have been amazing. It had dramatically reduced nausea.

Fact: The other active ingredients in Ginger are Terpenes and Oleoresin. These 2 have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, blood vessel dilating, circulation, and constipation relief qualities. These qualities provide a slew of benefits.
Benefits: The above properties are the exact same as Aspirin but Ginger has no side effects. It inhibits the same blood thickening enzyme as aspirin and does this naturally. For patients with cardio-vascular problem a regular amount taken every day will do what aspirin does, dilate the vessels and also thins the blood. This root also serves as a pain killer due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Fact: Ginger also helps produce large amounts of anti-oxidants.
Benefit: These anti-oxidants help strengthen heart muscle and lower serum cholesterol. Ginger decreases or interferes with cholesterol biosynthesis.

Fact: The root has high anti-inflammatory effects.
Benefit: Patients who suffer from arthritis and osteoporosis can have Ginger to help reduce pain.

Other Benefits: It is also known to have properties to regulate blood sugar helping diabetics. A well known remedy that it can provide is for cold and cough relief. It is know to help sore throats. The home remedy shown below in this hub will help reduce the effects or cure cold.

For Cold and Cough – Honey Lemon Ginger Tea Recipe

Ingredients:
Lemon: half
Fresh Ginger: ½ to 1 inch piece – The more you add the spicier (stingy) but the better it is.
Honey: 1 teaspoon (also helps take away the sting of Ginger)

How to do it:
Step 1: Heat water to a boil, pour it into a mug.
Step 2: squeeze half lemon into the water
Step 3: Crush the piece of Ginger and try to get as much of the juice into the water. Also drop the ginger piece into water.
Step 4: Stir until honey dissolves completely.
Step 5: Drink the tea when it is really warm. The hotter it is the better.

Benefit: This tea will help eliminate the body pain, head aches with the effects of Ginger. Lemon with provide with high dosages of Vitamin C and Honey being an antibacterial and antiseptic aid in healing sore throats and laryngitis. Honey also helps coat the sour throat and reduces cough. The warm water is also a key ingredient since it reduces the inflammation of the throat hence reducing cough.

Dosage: Take this tea 6-8 times a day.

For Digestive Problems – Ginger Honey Juice

This juice can be useful when you have severe stomach ache due to food poisoning or digestive problems.

Ingredients:
Fresh Ginger: 3-4 inches piece
Honey: 1 teaspoon (OPTIONAL - Without honey is even better)

How to do it:
Step 1: Peal Ginger
Step 2: Add little water and crush it in blender
Step 3: Squeeze juice out of Ginger
Step 4: Filter any piece out to have pure Ginger juice
Step 5: Add honey to reduce sting (You don't have to if you can tolerate the stingy spiciness)

This can be had once or twice a month just as preventive medicine. Will help metabolism and improve digestive health and has other health benefits.

DISCLAIMER: The author is not a medical practitioner.These are only general guidelines. It is always better to see a doctor depending upon the intensity of the case.