MANY of us have stopped listening to our granny’s advice and have forgotten the numerous benefits

of ginger.

While growing up, ginger was an integral part of my everyday life. My mother made ginger bullas that made my mouth water. It is only now that I understand that my salivation for ginger bulla was not solely because “dem look good” or tasted really good, but because ginger has volatile oils called terpenoids, and other chemical compounds such as gingerols, shogaols, paradols, and zingerone, which make the mouth water.

I would look forward to church on Sundays as my mother would give us money for the offering plate plus a little extra. We would use the extra to buy grater cake, drops and bus-me-jaw from a nearby shop. The ginger-flavoured bus-mi-jaw also made our mouths water but that was necessary because they needed to be well-soaked so we could sink our teeth into them.

If I had a bellyache, fever, toothache, sore throat, “gas”, headache, wheezing, or challenges with travelling long distances, my mother’s skilful application of ginger remedies and their ability to drive away pains that were so intense and oftentimes felt life-threatening made me believe ginger was a cure-all.

Uses of ginger

The Jamaican ginger, or zingiber officinale, is known to be of the highest quality found anywhere in the world. Here are a few of its uses:

At the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research a few years ago, doctors from the University of Michigan showed that exposure to a ginger extract resulted in the death of all ovarian cancer cells studied, and that regular use of ginger may have a protective effect against colon cancer.

Generally, cancer cells become resistant to some chemotherapy drugs after repeated use, but these cells showed no sign of becoming resistant to the cancer-fighting properties of ginger.

The Jamaican ginger is also known to relieve morning sickness that accompanies pregnancy; griping; diarrhoea; paralysis of the tongue; motion sickness and things associated with it such as vomiting, nausea and dizziness; joint pain; swellings; menstrual cramps; colds; flu; fever; and coughs.

‘How to’ ginger tips

For most of the listed health conditions, a cup of the hot beverage made by infusing one teaspoon of the root green or one-half teaspoon dried, will alleviate the symptoms. You can add mint, lime or garlic to the ginger ‘tea’.

For motion sickness you may also keep the ginger in the mouth, on top of or below the tongue.

For earache and dandruff, ginger can be mixed with olive oil or coconut oil. For chest or some belly pains, or to dress wounds, a poultice from the ginger can be made.

For toothaches, grate ginger and place inside the troubled tooth. Ginger was also traditionally added to meat dishes to help the intestine detoxify.

Health is a serious affair and in many cases experienced, professional guidance is needed. Always remember that healthy living is a lifestyle.

Maureen Minto is the chief naturopathic consultant at the Healthy Living Herbal Clinic and president of the Caribbean Natural Remedies Association. Contact her at 940-1197 or email healthylivingjamaica@gmail.com.