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Ginger and Garlic – Natures Medicines
Health Benefits of Ginger
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.
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.
Health Benefits of Garlic
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. Finally, the essential oils in garlic are excreted through the lungs, which means that it is particularly effective for clearing respiratory ailments.
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can garlic and ginger be blended together to boost the immune system against tuberculosis. and in what quantity.
thank you
Pretty sure that you cannot overdose on fresh ginger and garlic, so really it is as much as you can stomach.
does ginger and garlic impact positively or does it help reduce diabetes?
They are certainly healthy. As for diabetes, this is still under investigation. The Department of Nutrition, Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan researched this and stated that “there is no general agreement on the use of garlic for antidiabetic purposes, primarily because of a lack of scientific evidence from human studies and inconsistent data from animal studies.” Also, “Evidence suggests that garlic’s antioxidative, antiinflammatory, and antiglycative properties are responsible for garlic’s role in preventing diabetes progression and the development of diabetes-related complications. Large-scale clinical studies with diabetic patients are warranted to confirm the usefulness of garlic in the treatment and prevention of diabetes.” Source: Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, Liu CT, Sheen LY, Lii CK – Abstract.
Basically, studies have suggested that there is a benefit of eat garlic and ginger in treating diabetes, but scientists cannot currently prove the theory due to overall inconclusive results.
I boil a teaspoonful of ginger-garlic paste and then filter the mixture into a paste of black pepper, lime, honey & a pinch of salt. I drink this on an empty stomach daily. Is it okay or should I change the quantities/components ?
Sounds OK. If you are not suffering, then I really see no harm in it.
Does ginger and garlic have any adverse effect to health if taken too much?
Too much ginger has been known to act as a laxative in some people, and also it can irritate the small intestine. Garlic is also very potent and in excess could cause some digestive problems. Be sensible, increase your daily intake slowly, if you feel at all unwell, cut back. You do not need to eat it by the bucket load to live a healthier life!
Do ginger and garlic encourage weight loss? What food items encourage weight loss?
These foods encourage weight loss
garlic & ginger can cure hypertension & can reduce cholesterol?
They can help, but are not a cure. A balanced approach is required – all round healthy diet and exercise.
From the experiments I have proved that ginger is natural enemy of high blood pressure and it reduces high blood pressure when it can not be controlled by medicines also it reduces cholesterol level but medicines should not be avoided for those who have been prescribed medicines for these diseases.
Have the results of these experiments been published in a journal or online?