Ginger root is amazing! Just sayin….. Seriously, if you’ve known me long enough, I’ve told you about ginger root. It’s the cure-all for everything in my book and the closest thing to a miracle drug that God ever made! Well almost everything.
My Respiratory Issues
Let me tell you a little story. Back in 2004 I developed asthma. It was all very strange. I had been at my aunt’s house helping her clean one of her bedrooms. I’d walked out for a moment and when I walked back in I inhaled the fumes of the cleaner she had been using…very liberally I might add! My lungs immediately felt on fire and I had trouble breathing. It was as if an elephant sat right down on top of me. I started coughing and wheezing and was scared to death. Needless to say, I went to the doctor and had problems for several years after that where I would develop bronchitis regularly and be down for days! It was all very frustrating to me because up to this point, I was healthy most of the time except for a cold every now and then but after this I was sick a lot. It was so bad that my doctor finally told me….”Move West young girl! South Georgia is going to kill you!!”
My husband had been stationed in El Paso, Texas before we were married and wanted to move back there, so we did…but I wasn’t any better. Just traded the humidity for the dust and both sent me into asthma attacks. I worked in a Medical Clinic and one day while I was coughing my head off, one of the doctors said, “Enough! When you leave today, go straight to the store and buy some ginger. Cut off about 1 inch, peel it and put it in a cup of water, bring it to a boil and let it steep. Add some raw honey and drink it as many times as you can a day.” So, I did and after coughing for several weeks (no kidding, and that was normal when I’d get sick by this point), my coughing stopped within about 3 days! Seriously!! I’d found my miracle cure!! I now use it religiously and have only had 1 asthma attack since and it’s when I hadn’t been drinking my tea!
History Of Ginger’s Health Benefits
Ginger has been around for centuries and has been commonly used for many ailments. It’s very effective for gastrointestinal issues such as motion sickness…especially sea sickness. It’s also been show to reduce the symptoms of nausea, dizziness and vomiting and can be safely used when pregnant to help with morning sickness. A review of multiple trials published in the April 2005 issue of the journal, Obstetrics and Gynecology, showed that ginger is effective in relieving the severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Health Benefits
Ginger is known (as in my case) to promote respiratory health. Chest congestion is caused by inflammation, bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes and asthma occurs when airways become inflamed and narrowed. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties ginger aids in reducing the inflammation and swelling in the air passageways.
The anti-inflammatory properties have also been touted to help with joint pain, muscle pain after working out, menstrual cramps and is very high in antioxidants that fight free radicals (the bad guy cells)…and it tastes good!
Another short story. One of my co-workers was complaining of nausea so I suggested she go get some ginger (I had just used the last of mine but I had honey at my desk) and I’d make her some tea. She did and she felt better. A few days later I asked her how she was doing and she said “You know, I’ve noticed since I’ve been drinking ginger tea at night, my joint pain isn’t as bad!” She suffers terribly with back and leg pain but had noticed that her pain had greatly decreased since starting to drink the tea. Another convert!!
Different Forms Of Ginger
You can use ginger as a spice in cooking, take it in powder or pill form, or make a tea out of it (my favorite!). I make mine just as described above. If I feel a cold coming on, I will drink 2-3 cups a day and usually the cold will not be as severe, if it catches hold at all! It’s definitely my go to when I start feeling bad.
Word Of Warning
A word of warning…always check with your doctor if you have any medical issues. If you are planning on having surgery or use anticoagulant medication, use with your doctor’s permission due to the fact that it can act as a blood thinner. I am not a doctor but have done extensive research due to my medical issues and these are just some of my findings on the subject.
I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me. Let me know what you think. I would love to hear your comments. And as always, thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Becky