CHAPTER 16: Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger is a pungent, lemon-like aromatic spice produced from the rhizome (underground stem). Ginger was one of the first oriental spices to arrive in Europe via the Greeks and Romans, obtained from Arab traders. The spice is used to add flavour in Eastern cuisine, the stem is also used in Asian cooking, and the powdered spice is more popular in Western European cuisine, for example in gingerbread in Britain. Ginger was used in folk medicine in Southeast Asia, and its uses spread all over the globe (Greco-Roman traditions, Brazil, Australia, Africa, China, India, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Mexico, Japan and Jamaica). Much research has been carried out on the purported health benefits of ginger. Its ameliorative effects on nausea and vomiting are well established, and its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive/anti-cancer and anti-microbial properties have led to research on its efficacy in the prevention and treatment/management of chronic non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cancer. Its use in arthritic and pain management has also been explored. There is a considerable amount of research on the properties listed above based primarily on in vitro and animal models. Therefore, the focus is on clinical research.