Ginger and Garlic: Wonder Foods
Copyright © 2006 Mary Desaulniers
When
my son came down with a terrible headache and the beginning of a
rasping cough, my daughter-in-law strode into the kitchen and made him
her well-known concoction for colds and flu: pressed garlic, minced
ginger, honey and hot water.
“Maybe some Tylenol would help him as well,” I suggested.
“This will do,” she said. ”Trust me.”
And she was right. The next morning, he was on his feet, bright, alert and symptom-free.
His
quick recovery comes as no surprise to me. Ginger and garlic have been
for centuries the most popular of home remedies. Closer inspection
reveals why they work so well and why, in straightforward cases of
colds and flu, they are perhaps even better alternatives than over the
counter prescriptions.
Ginger has been used as both seasoning
and medicine for over 50 years. During the Middle Ages, it was used
against the plague. Today, it is used for ailments that run from simple
colds and sniffles to rheumatoid arthritis.
Its effectiveness
against headaches has been documented. Taken at the first sign of
migraine, ginger can reduce the symptoms and severity of headaches by
blocking prostaglandins—the chemicals that cause inflammation in blood
vessels in the brain. This anti-inflammatory activity in ginger can
shorten the discomfort of headaches, colds and flu.
As well,
ginger blocks the production of substances that cause bronchial
congestion and stuffiness. Its main compounds, gingerols, are natural
cough suppressants.
It works as well to reduce joint swellings
in people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. A recent study found
that ginger eased the symptoms in 55 percent of people with
osteoarthritis and 74 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis.
Considering the health implications of drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex,
ginger seems a much safer and more cost-effective alternative.
Ginger
works like aspirin to thin the blood. A study involving Danish women
between the ages of 25 to 65 years, one group of whom consumed 70 grams
of raw onion daily while a second group consumed 5 grams of ginger
daily for one week, showed unequivocally the benefits of ginger. When
the researchers tested both groups of women, they found that ginger,
more clearly than onion, reduced thromboxane production by almost 60
percent. Thromboxane compounds stimulate the clumping of blood
platelets and the constricting of blood vessels. By dissolving the
clumping quality of blood platelets, ginger reduces blood clots and the
risk of heart attacks and strokes.
But this is not all! Ginger
can also relieve menstrual cramps. Chemical compounds in ginger act as
anti-spasmodics inhibiting painful contractions of both smooth muscles
of the digestive tract and the uterus.
Garlic is no less
powerful. The restorative powers of garlic have been known to the
ancient Egyptians who gave garlic to slaves constructing the pyramids
in order to increase their efficiency and stamina.
Garlic, like
ginger, reduces the tendency of blood to clot. Garlic improves blood
flow throughout the body, not just in the coronary arteries. It acts as
a vasodilator by causing blood vessels to expand and blood pressure to
drop. Researchers at the Garlic Research Bureau in Suffolk, England,
recently reported that “even small amounts of Garlic, say 3 or 4 grams,
will have a pronounced effect on fibrinolytic (breaking down of blood
clots) activity…in doses from 25 grams ( 10 cloves) to 50 grams Garlic
seems to be highly effective in promoting beneficial changes in blood
fat composition and platelet adhesiveness.”
It also lowers cholesterol, tryglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels while also increasing the beneficial cholesterol HDL.
And
it has anti-tumor properties. Garlic oil inhibits enzymes that curtail
the production of protaglandins ( many cancers are prostaglandin
dependent). Research in China also shows an inverse relationship
between the incidence of stomach cancer and garlic intake. Studies even
suggest that garlic may lower the risk of colon cancer by 35 percent
and stomach cancer by as much as 50 percent. Garlic inhibits the
formation of nitrites, chemicals that could trigger stomach cancer.
There is also laboratory evidence that garlic can shrink cancers of the
breast, skin and lungs.
One more thing-- garlic’s essential oil
is excreted through the lungs, which means that it is particularly
effective for clearing respiratory ailments.
No wonder my son
made such a rapid recovery. He took the kids tobogganing down the hill,
returning all of them later that afternoon, cheeks red and happy.
“No more sniffles?” I asked him.
“I feel great!” he said. ”That stuff Paulina makes--it works every time!”
About the author:
A
runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is now
doing what she loves--running, writing, helping people reclaim their
bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement
are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can
subscribe to Mary's newsletter by contacting her at http://www.GreatBodyafter50secrets.com or visit her at http://www.greatbodyat50.com
[Read more articles by Mary Desaulniers]
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