A common saying goes: "A little ginger at home keeps minor illnesses at bay." Winter and spring are the best seasons to consume ginger-containing foods. Once summer arrives with its clear and hot weather, people are prone to a dry mouth, sore throat, and excessive sweating, so it is best to eat less ginger.
Ginger is pungent and warm in nature, affecting the lung, stomach, and spleen meridians. Its main functions are to induce sweating, dispel cold, stop vomiting, and resolve phlegm. It can treat colds due to wind-cold and also detoxifies from fish and crab. Traditional Chinese Medicine highly values the health benefits of ginger, and there is a folk saying, "Take ginger with you when you go out, and you will always stay healthy."
Regarding the effectiveness of ginger in preventing and treating diseases, a recent study found that foods with a high concentration of ginger can have a pain-relieving effect, alleviating the pain for two-thirds of arthritis patients. Ginger-containing foods can also inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells. Furthermore, ginger contains a substance "similar to aspirin"; its dilute solution is a blood thinner and anticoagulant, with special effects on lowering blood lipids and blood pressure.
Ginger contains gingerol, which can promote the secretion of the salivary glands and gastrointestinal digestive glands, and enhance gastrointestinal motility. It thus acts to increase appetite, aid digestion, and regulate gastrointestinal function. Therefore, people with poor digestion or a tendency for bloating can keep some ginger candy on hand.
When traveling, chewing a piece of ginger before departure, applying a slice to the navel, or smelling it by the nose can prevent motion sickness. Therefore, personnel from the vegetable monitoring center suggest that eating more ginger on a regular basis can, to a certain extent, ensure people's health.