Botanical Name – Zingiber officinale

Family: Zingiberaceae

Energetics: hot, dry, relaxant

Taste: aromatic, pungent

Parts used: rhizome

Affinities: digestive, circulatory, and reproductive systems

Actions: stimulant, carminative, rubefacient, diffusive, relaxant, antispasmodic, stomachic, antiemetic, anodyne, emmenagogue, diaphoretic

Preparations: tea, tincture, food, poultice, compress, honey infusion

Cautions: Generally regarded as safe for all ages. Please note that ginger has blood thinning properties. If you are on prescription blood thinners, don’t take ginger in large doses. Ginger is also an emmenagogue. Women with heavy menstrual flows may want to be cautious during their cycle. 

Therapeutic Uses:

• Ginger is excellent for most digestive issues. It will help get things moving when digestion is slow or sluggish. 
• Ginger is extremely useful for any type of nausea including nausea from chemotherapy, food poisoning, motion sickness, hangovers, migraine and morning sickness. I like to keep a jar of honeyed ginger in my fridge to chew on when a migraine is making me sick to my stomach. 
• Ginger helps promote sweating which can help detox the body. If I am sick or feeling like I might be coming down with something, I like to make a strong cup of ginger tea and pour it into my bathwater. Make sure to rinse off well after to wash off all of the bad stuff you just sweat out. 🙂
• As an emmenagogue, gingers warming actions can help soothe menstrual cramps and get things moving. It can also help bring on a sluggish period.
• Used topically, ginger helps get blood moving which is helpful for bruising, tight muscles, sprains, and strains. Not only does ginger help get blood moving which brings in nutrients to the area and move out the damaged cells, it is also an anodyne which means it will help ease pain. A ginger poultice or compress is great for this. Just shred up some fresh ginger, wrap it in a thin cloth, and place it directly on the affected area. You can warm it up if that feels better, but ginger is warming on its own, so you don’t really even need to warm it.

**This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease. It is for educational purposes only.