Ginger is an indispensable health food on the dining table. Besides its ability to flavor food and warm the stomach, it also has excellent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, heat-relieving, and detoxifying effects. However, as the saying goes, "the moon is full wanes," and excess of anything can be counterproductive. Excessive consumption of ginger or improper consumption methods can affect health, and in extreme cases, it can be as toxic as arsenic and even carcinogenic. Below, we introduce several incorrect ways to eat ginger, and hope everyone will pay attention in their daily diet.
Ginger is both nutritious and medicinal, making it a versatile and functional food therapy product. Its uses are extensive, and its dual role as both food and medicine is unparalleled. Folk sayings such as "If your meal isn't fragrant, eat ginger," "Radish at night, ginger in the morning," "Eat radish in winter, ginger in summer," "The holy medicine for vomiting," "Three slices of ginger in the morning are better than drinking ginseng soup," and "Three slices of ginger a day keep the doctor away" are all vivid and brilliant summaries of ginger's functions.
Ginger contains safrole, and excessive consumption can cause cancer.
In addition to common nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, ginger also contains many special nutrients, such as phytoantibiotics with antibacterial effects, volatile oils that inhibit cholesterol absorption, and gingerol with antioxidant effects. However, it is worth noting that besides these nutrients beneficial to human health, ginger also contains a component called safrole.
Safrole is a food additive, a colorless or pale yellow liquid with a camphor-like odor. It is naturally present in spices like ginger, fennel, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns. It is low in toxicity but can be carcinogenic in certain amounts. Therefore, excessive consumption of ginger may increase the risk of cancer, especially liver cancer. Research by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows that safrole can cause liver cancer. Adding 0.04% to 1% safrole to mouse feed for 150 days to 2 years can induce liver cancer in mice. If safrole encounters oxidants in the body, it can produce epoxy safrole, which has stronger carcinogenic activity and significantly increases the risk of liver cancer in humans. Therefore, ginger must be used in moderation during cooking, and unlimited use should be avoided.
Toxins produced by rotten ginger can also cause cancer.
In daily life, many people believe that "rotten ginger doesn't spoil the taste," so they continue to use ginger even after cutting off the rotten parts. This is a very dangerous practice, and long-term consumption may lead to cancer. Rotten ginger also produces toxins, and even after cutting them off, there is still a possibility of carcinogenicity. In severe cases, it can even lead to esophageal and liver cancer. Therefore, once ginger shows signs of rotting, do not be reluctant to throw it away; absolutely do not eat rotten ginger.
Five Precautions for Eating Ginger:
1. Eat ginger in moderation. Excessive consumption can cause symptoms of "internal heat" such as a dry mouth, sore throat, and constipation.
2. Do not peel it. Some people like to peel ginger when eating it, but this prevents ginger from exerting its full effects. Fresh ginger should be washed and then sliced or shredded.
3. Do not eat rotten ginger. Because it produces carcinogens after moldy growth, which is harmful to health.
4. Ginger can be prepared in various ways, such as in soups, porridge, stir-fries, stews, braised fish, meat fillings, and as a seasoning. It not only tastes delicious but is also beneficial to health.
5. For medicinal purposes, old ginger is the best. It acts as a stomach tonic and has effects such as relieving the exterior, dispelling cold, warming the stomach, stimulating, inducing sweating, stopping vomiting, and detoxifying.
6. People with symptoms of yin deficiency and excessive fire, such as red eyes and internal heat, or those suffering from carbuncles, sores, pneumonia, lung abscess, tuberculosis, stomach ulcers, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, diabetes, or hemorrhoids, should not consume ginger long-term.
7. From a therapeutic perspective, ginger brown sugar water is only suitable for patients with wind-cold colds or those who have caught a cold in the rain and have stomach cold and fever. It should not be used for summer heat colds or wind-heat colds, nor for treating heatstroke. Fresh ginger juice can be used to treat vomiting caused by cold exposure, but it is not suitable for other types of vomiting.
8. Do not eat rotten ginger. Rotten ginger produces a highly toxic substance that can cause degeneration and necrosis of liver cells, inducing liver cancer, esophageal cancer, etc. The saying that "rotten ginger doesn't spoil the taste" is unscientific.
9. Eating ginger is not always better. In the hot summer, people are prone to a dry mouth, irritability, thirst, sore throat, and excessive sweating. Ginger is pungent and warm in nature, a "hot" food. According to the principle of "treating heat with cold," it should not be eaten in excess. Just a few slices of ginger in cooking or soup is sufficient.