Ginger is an herb that grows mainly in Asia is used as a spice in cooking. It is also known for its therapeutic qualities. It is an underground stem (rhizome) that can be used fresh, powdered, dried, or in the form of oil or juice.
Ginger is one among the wonderful spice in Indian kitchen that leaves strong flavor to the curry to make. It is usually used in making chicken or fish curries so that it can suppress the unhealthy raw smell of this food ingredient and replace the same with wonderful smell of ginger.
The particular spice root also has variety of health benefits. One of the most common health benefits is protection of cold attack. People generally suffer from irritating throat once they have cold attack. But chewing dry ginger root with a pinch of salt can remove such discomfort.
Sontipodi or dry ginger
is a homemade medicine which treatsmuch illness. It is used in Ayurveda medicines since centuries. Dry ginger powder,called saunth in Hindi is hot and dry by nature.
Health benefits and therapeutic uses of dried ginger
- Dried ginger has been used in traditional medicine to give relief from gastrointestinal distress. It is found to be effective in eliminating gas from the intestines and helpsin the relaxation of the tract.
- Ginger is very beneficial in the prevention of motion sickness. It reduces nausea and cold sweats, dizziness and vomiting. It is also effective in morning sickness in pregnant women
- The Gingerols in dried ginger has very powerful anti-inflammatory properties which help in decreasing the level of painof osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. People with knee problem have also experienced the decrease of pain after daily consumption of ginger powder for a period of one year.
- Gingerols also prevent the growth and spread of colorectal cancer cells. They may also kill ovarian cancer cells by inducing programmed cell death and self-digestion.
- Ginger can promote sweating which helps to lower body temperature. This process is helpful when treating colds and flusand also helps the body get rid of toxins.
- Tea made with dried ginger helps in treating digestive disorders.
- Ginger powder or sonti when added to warm milk or tea gives relief from cold, acidity indigestion and viral fever.
- Spoonful of dried ginger powder with hot rice keeps the stomach clean and body healthy.
Homemade symptomatic cure with ginger
- Diarrhoea can be controlled by adding one teaspoon of gingerjuice to boiling water and taking it several times a day.
- Stomachache, constipation and indigestion can be relieved by taking a spoon of ginger powder, little asafoetida and rock salt in a glass of hot water.
- A mixture of dry ginger, asafoetida and black salt helps in removing gas. Grind dried ginger and carom seeds together. Wet this mixture with lime juice. Dry this mixture in shade and add salt. This powder taken every morning gives relief from gas and abdominal pain.
- Hiccough can be relieved by drinking milk which has been boiled with dry ginger and cooled
- Pain and blood during urination can be cured by drinking milk with dry ginger and candy sugar.
- Pain in Ribs can be stopped by drinking boiled and cooled dry ginger water four times a day.
- Dry ginger eaten with jiggery is helpful in piles, jaundice and swelling
- Cough and Cold can be cured with a mixture of ghee, honey and dry ginger powder. It stops cough and reduces phlegm
- Swollen gums and toothache can be relieved by gulping down dry ginger powder with water.
- Numbness of hands and feet can be treated by applying a paste made of garlic, dry ginger and water.
- Paralysiscan be reduced bytaking a ball made of ginger powder, jiggery and warm ground lentil
- Headaches including migraine, neck pain, body aches can be relieved by applying a paste of ground ginger and water. Sniffing dry ginger causes sneezing which relieves headache.
- Joint Pains can be relieved by putting a bandage that is dipped in a powder of dry ginger, nutmeg and sesame oil around the joint
- Gout can be reduced by drinking boil water with honey and ginger powder
- Fever can be reduced by licking mixed honey and ginger powder.
Ginger and weight loss
Recent studies have shown that ginger has some effect on weight loss. But these are found to be marginal. Ginger improves satiety and thus prevents one from over eating. Ginger lowers fat absorption while eating high fat diet. It stimulates pancreatic activity and increases the production of bile salts.
Ginger helps in weight loss by serving as adigestive help. An effective digestive system helps in ingesting food efficiently and can contribute to weight loss as bulk of the food is processed and eliminated out of the body. Effective digestion helps in using up of the glucose in the blood and stored fat.
Ginger also helps in weight loss by improving metabolism. Ginger is found to be a thermo genic agent that helps in burning fat. The stored fat in the body can be burnt off by the increased rate of metabolism.
Sontipodi/ dry ginger powder for good health
Anti-inflammatory benefit
Inflammation can be a reason of discomfort when you are suffering from various types of disease. If you find one fine morning all your fingers are getting swollen, what will be your reaction? This may haunt you with worries. Even you won’t know how to stop it. But, the dried ginger root with salt works really well. You just need to chew it and see your inflammation getting reduced. The inflammation due to accidents can be reduced too.
Treating nausea and morning sickness
It is quite likely to observe in a pregnant woman. The woman with child in her womb can suffer from variety of health issues and physical discomfort. Morning sickness and nausea is a very common problem they can suffer from. In such a situation you must make them have ginger root in dried form. Once she starts chewing the dried ginger root, automatically she can get back to her normal state.
Lowers blood sugar
High blood sugar has become a major problem to many individuals irrespective of their age. But there are natural ways to have a control over such high blood sugar. You can now have 2 grams of ginger powder along with some salt. This can be chewed with or without water. If you can consume it every day in the morning in empty stomach, you can see how well the blood pressure level in your body is controlled. No medicine will be required, only some ginger root extracted from nature.
