Ginger, the underground stem of the plant Zingiber Officinale has been used as a medicine in Asian,
Indian and Arabic herbal traditions since ancient times. In China, for example, ginger has been used to aid digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea, and nausea for more than 2,000 years.

Since ancient times, ginger has also been used to heip treat arthritis, colic, diarrhea, and heart conditions. In addition to these medicinal uses, ginger continues to be valued around the world as an important cooking spice and is believed to help the common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and even painful menstrual periods. Native to Asia where its use as a culinary spice spans at least 4,400 years, ginger grows in fertile, moist, tropical soil.

Plant Description
Ginger is a knotted, thick, beige underground stem (rhizome). The stem extends roughly 12 inches above ground with long, narrow ribbed, green leaves and white or yellowish green flowers.

What Is It Made Off?
The important active components of the ginger root are thought to be volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds (such as gingerols and shogaols).

Medicinal Uses And Indication
Today, ginger root is widely used as a digestive aid for mild stomach upset and is commonly. recommended by health care professionals to help prevent or treat nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness, pregnancy and cancer chemotherapy. Ginger is used as support in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, and may even be used in heart disease or cancer treatments.

Pregnancy Related Nausea And Vomiting
A limited number of human studies suggest that 1 gram daily of ginger may be safe and effective for pregnancy¬associated nausea and vomiting when used for short periods (no longer than 4 days). Several studies have found that ginger is more effective than placebo in relieving nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. In a small study including 30 pregnant women with severe vomiting, those who ingested I gram of ginger every day for four days reported more relief from vomiting than those who received placebo. In a ..Iarger study including 70 pregnant women with nausea and vomiting, those who received a similar dosage of ginger felt less nauseous and experienced fewer vomiting episodes than those who received placebo.

Chemotherapy Nausea
There is also evidence from a few studies that suggests ginger reduces the severity and duration of nausea (but not vomiting) during chemotherapy. Long-term studies should be performed to confirm these results and to establish safety.

Inflammation
In addition to providing relief from nausea and vomiting, ginger extracts have long been used in traditional medical practices to decrease inflammation. In fact, many health care professionals today use ginger to treat health problems associated with inflammation, such as arthritis and ulcerative colitis.

Other Uses
Although it is much too early to tell if this will benefit those with heart diseases, a few preliminary studies suggest that ginger may lower cholesterol and prevent the blood from clotting. Each of these effects may protect the blood vessels from blockage and the damaging effects of blockage such as atherosclerosis, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Available Forms
Ginger products are made from fresh or dried ginger root, or from steam distillation of the oil in the root. The herb is available in extracts, tinctures, capsules, and oils. Fresh ginger roots can also be purchased and prepared as tea. Ginger is also a C<?mmon cooking spice and can be found in a variety of foods and drinks, including ginger bread, ginger snaps, ginger sticks, and ginger ale.

How To Take It Pediatric
Ginger should not be used by children under2 years of age.
Ginger may be used by children over 2 years of age to treat nausea, digestive cramping, and headaches. Adjust the recommended adult dose to account for the chiid's weight. Most herbal dosages for adults are calculated on the basis of a 150 Ib (70 kg) adult. Therefore, ilthe child weighs 50 Ib (20-25kg), the appropriate dose of ginger for this child would be 1/3 of the adult dosage.

Adult
In general, ginger in take should not exceed 4 grams in one day (this includes the ginger obtained through diet such as from ginger ale, ginger snaps, and ginger bread). Usually, food sources contain no more than 0.5% ginger.

Standardized dose: Take 75-2,000 mg in divided doses with food, standardized to contain 4% volatile oils or 5% total pungent compounds including 6-gingerol or 6-shogaol.

For nausea, gas, or indigestion: 2-4 grams of fresh root daily (0.25 1.0g of powdered root) or 1.5-3.0 ml (30-90 drops) liquid extract daily. To prevent vomiting, take 1 gram of powdered ginger (1/2 tsp) or its equivalent, every 4 hours as needed (not to exceed 4 doses daily), or 2 ginger capsules (1 gram), 3 times daily. You may also chew a % oz piece of fresh ginger when need

To relieve arthritis pain: Take fresh ginger juice, extract, or tea, 2-4 grams daily. Topical ginger oil may also be rubbed into a painful joint. Fresh ginger' root may also be placed in a warm poultice or compress and apply to painful areas.
For cold and flu symptoms, sore throat, headache and menstrual cramps: Steep 2 tbsp of freshly shredded ginger in hot water, 2-3 times daily. A drop of ginger oil or a few slices of fresh rhizome may also be placed in steaming water and inhaled.

Precautions
The use of herbs is a time-honoured approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain components that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a health care provider qualified in the field of botanical medicine.

Side effects associated with ginger are rare, but if taken in excessive does the herb may cause mild heartburn. Some of the mild gastrointestinal side effects, such as belching, heartburn, or stomach upset, may be relieved by taking ginger supplements in capsules. People with gallstones should consult a doctor before taking ginger. Make sure to tell your doctor if you are taking ginger and will be going to surgery or placed under anesthesia for any reason.
Do not take ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood thinning medications, including aspirin.

Possible Interactions
Ginger may alter the effects of some prescription and non-prescription medications. If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should no use ginger without first talking to your health care provider.

Blood-thinning medication: Although ginger may interfere with blood clotting, there have been no scientific or case reports of interactions between ginger and blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin and warfarin. However, people taking medications that thin the blood should use ginger only under the supervision of a health care provider.