Herbal Review: Ginger

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Holistic medicine- dates to the dawn of the modern man. Medicinal herbal medicine is embedded in nearly every society so deeply that some plant origins can be traced back to the migration of man. Ginger, (Zingiber offinale. Zingberceae) is an herb native to Southeastern Asia, can now be found in China, India, Nigeria, Australia, Jamaica, and Haiti as well (Food as medicine, 2015). The exact origin of ginger is unknown however the medicinal uses of ginger can be traced back to Ancient Greek and Roman text, Sanskrit, Chinese, and Arabic text.  Both the Chinese and Indians have used ginger for medicinal purposes for more than 5,000 years (Food as medicine, 2015) and today ginger is found in the pharmacopoeias of Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Egypt, and Switzerland ("Herbal Medicine: Expanded," 2019). The primary constituents of ginger may vary depending on the place of origin and whether the plant is dried or not though the efficacy is unchanged. There are numerous studies that validate the efficacy of ginger for applications such anti-emetic for nausea and motion sickness, other gastrointestinal concerns such as colic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antioxidant promoting anti-cancer and cardiovascular benefits as well.