GINGER
Put Some Spice in Your Medicine Cabinet:
The spices of the East - cayenne, turmeric, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon….
Ginger earns its age-old reputation as a stomach-settler and a purifier. It has cholesterol-lowering, artery-debunking antioxidants and anti-fungal, blood-clotting and even cancer fighting properties.
You can't make Asian or Indian food without it. Or gingerbread! While the FDA doesn't regulate spices, it categorizes all the above as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) so ban the bland and take your medicine - it's delicious.
Source: Knight Ridder Newspapers, March 29, 2005.
BENEFITS:
Ginger and Morning Sickness...
Ginger could relieve the nausea and vomiting experienced by pregnant women, say Australian researchers.
Ginger does not prevent morning sickness but it may help ease some of the nausea experienced by pregnant women, researchers reported in the April 2004 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Researchers from the University of South Australia in Adelaide gave nearly 300 women either 350mg of ginger or 25mg of vitamin B6 three times per day for 3 weeks. The researchers found that both ginger and vitamin B6, which is sometimes taken to counteract morning sickness, worked equally well at alleviating nausea symptoms.
Due to the small sample size, the researchers concluded that more research was needed to determine ginger's risks and benefits.
Ginger and Motion Sickness...
Why is ginger ale served on airplanes? Many studies have shown that ginger eases motion sickness and aids digestion.
Commission E (a panel of experts appointed by the German equivalent of the FDA and considered to be the world’s most reliable source on herbal remedies) recommends consuming ginger to prevent motion sickness.
In one study reported in The Lancet, ginger capsules were more effective than Dramamine in reducing motion sickness induced by a revolving chair. It’s no coincidence that ginger ale, as a soothing beverage, has been served on the airlines nearly since the beginning of commercial aviation.
Today, more chefs in the travel industry (airlines and cruise ships) are appreciating ginger’s curative powers and incorporating it into many dishes, from sauces to desserts.
As a flavor, ginger adds a clean freshness of its own while lifting the other flavors in a recipe. If you are a member of a commercial test kitchen or are a manufacturer who supplies the travel industry, please call or email us for working samples.
Ginger – A Pain Fighting Food...
Mounting evidence suggests that ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties. ‘And you don’t have to use a lot,’ says Neal Barnard, M.D. author of Foods That Fight Pain and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington D.C.
‘It works like ibuprofen, but without the side effects.’ Thing is, you need some ginger every day to feel the results. Slice a half-teaspoon to a teaspoon of fresh ginger and use it to flavor your stir-fry vegetables or sauces, or mix it with some boiling water and let it cool down before drinking.
Source:Runner’s World
Cooking with Ginger
Unlike any other flavor, ginger is unlimited in its culinary uses.
From the fieriest of stir-fries to the sweetest of ice creams, ginger has the ability to cross over from savory to sweet.
Rather than tinker with tried-and-true Asian recipes, seek other culinary marriages for ginger. Experiment with a small amount of fresh, pickled or candied ginger in a recipe.
Remember that a little ginger goes a long way. As you go, increase the amount of ginger to suit your personal tastes.
Add ginger to soups, stocks, salads, vegetables, marinades, sauces and desserts.
Does Ginger Burn Fat?
Ginger is being investigated as a potential weapon in the battle of the bulge. Preliminary test-tube research shows that ginger boosts thermogenesis, or calorie burning.
By measuring a complicated series of reactions in the tissue of rats, researchers found that ginger made the tissues use more energy than they would have normally.
The researchers think the spice affects the nerves in some way. But we are still a long way from knowing for sure if eating ginger does the same thing in the whole body of a rat, let along in people. So for now, just enjoy ginger for the zing; if it burns off a few calories, call it a bonus.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
