Blog#54: Ginger and Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory
Herbs
The parts of these plants that we typically use in
teas, curries and herbal formulas are rhizomes, which are modified stems that grow
horizontally underground and store nutrients for the plant. Unlike roots, rhizomes often have leaves and
nodes and do not anchor the plant to the ground or prevent erosion. Rhizomes may send out adventitious roots. Fresh ginger is usually green, pink, and
whitish in color. The sliced rhizome is
usually medium to pale yellow. Turmeric,
when fresh and whole has a light brown to medium orange skin; sliced, it is
bright orange. It is best to use both
herbs fresh rather than dried, if you can find them that way.
When fresh, the aromatic oils are present and supply
more nutrients than herbs have in the dried form. Although we are often advised to peel the
skin off, if the rhizome is organically grown and free of mold, it is better to
leave the skin on since that part contains a lot of nutrients. It is generally best to lightly cook these
herbs, not letting the temperature rise above about 130 degrees F. Adding black pepper to Turmeric will tend to
make its effects more potent. Most
packaged and bottled supplements are poor quality. Fresh, whole herbs are always best, followed
by organic powders from reliable sources, such as Frontier Herbs.
Ginger and Turmeric are safe for most people to
use. These herbs usually would not be
used as simples (singly) or in infusions (see previous several blogs for
explanation of infusion) but would instead usually be used with at least one or
two other herbs or in an even larger formula.
They also can be used in teas or in cooking. The Ginger and Turmeric we are familiar with
come from plants in the same family –Zingiberaceae. This family of plants probably originated in
Southern Asia, can only thrive in a fairly narrow range of temperature, from
approximately 58 to 86 degrees F, and require considerable annual rainfall.
Both Turmeric and Ginger have warming qualities and
therefore should be used with caution with a fever. Otherwise, they are quite effective in
strengthening the immune system, alleviating pain and inflammation, including
that from arthritis. By limiting and
even reversing inappropriate inflammation, these two herbs also can help
improve brain function, increase energy level, elevate mood, and possibly
prevent or at least slow some types of degenerative conditions, such as spinal disc
degeneration and premature aging. Several
studies have shown ginger to be an effective anti-microbial for both
streptococcus and staphylococcus. Turmeric
has also been shown to have anti-microbial properties, especially in regards to
E coli and some fungi.
Occasionally, people have allergies to one or both of
these herbs, usually ginger. To be safe,
if you have never used one or both of these herbs before, start with a very
small quantity, and if this causes no reaction, you should be able to use
it. Give yourself periodic rests from
using these rhizomes.
Below are two reports of successful use of these
herbs.
A woman with toenail fungus mixed organic turmeric
powder with either organic apple cider vinegar or just water, formed a paste, and
then spread the paste on the affected nails and wrapped the nail in gauze
nightly. In approximately two months,
the fungal infection began to diminish and in six months the infection was no
longer visible. If she stopped for
longer than one month, the fungus began to return, so she had to use the paste
at least twice a week thereafter. She
also avoided sugar, bread, and mushrooms, and ate a healthful diet with many
fresh vegetables.
A man with severe osteoarthritis of the knees began
using green tea with ginger. He used two
or three slices of whole organic ginger rhizome per cup of water, leaving the
skin on. The green tea was also organic,
one tsp per cup of water. He allowed the
ginger to simmer in the tea for 20 minutes, keeping the temperature below 130
degrees F by monitoring with a candy thermometer. He made two days’ worth at a time and kept it
refrigerated. He drank two to four
ounces after each meal for three months before he began to notice results, and
then continued for another three months before the pain and swelling were
gone. At that point, he found he was
best off taking a one-week break after every one to two months, to give his
body a rest. If he took longer than two
to three weeks’ break, pain and swelling would begin to return. He also ate a healthful diet, avoiding sugar,
wheat and dairy, and processed meats.
This month’s offer:
feel free to contact me with questions about references about studies
done with these two herbs.
