Ginger is an indispensable cooking ingredient in daily life. Traditionally, it is believed to dispel cold and warm the body. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, ginger can be decocted in soup, juiced, or used as a seasoning. Its medicinal properties are known to expel wind and cold, resolve phlegm and stop coughing, warm the middle jiao to stop vomiting, and detoxify. It is often used to treat conditions such as common colds with wind-cold and stomach cold with vomiting and nausea. But did you know? It's not advisable to eat ginger in the fall. Eating ginger in autumn not only fails to provide health benefits but can also cause physical discomfort. Let's explore why ginger should be avoided in the fall.
The Dangers of Eating Ginger in Autumn
Although ginger has many benefits, there are many considerations when consuming it, and the season is one of them. Ginger is a pungent food and belongs to the "hot" nature category. During the cooking process, it loses a lot of moisture, and consuming it can easily lead to "internal heat" (上火). At the same time, the autumn climate is dry, and this dryness can easily injure the lungs. If one then consumes pungent ginger, it is more likely to damage the lungs, exacerbate body water loss and dryness, and intensify the harmful effects of autumn dryness on the body.
Therefore, it is advisable to eat less ginger in the fall. Nutrition experts note that this doesn't mean you absolutely cannot eat any ginger in autumn; the key is not to "overconsume".
However, if a patient needs it for medical treatment purposes, they can consume it correctly "following medical advice." For example, ginger is often used in the autumn treatment of wind-cold cough. TCM theory follows the principle of "treating cold with heat" and "treating heat with cold," meaning heat diseases are treated with cooling herbs, and cold diseases are treated with warming herbs. For individuals suffering from a cold-related illness whose symptoms like cough, abdominal pain, or vomiting are worsened by exposure to cold in autumn, drinking hot ginger soup can be effective for warming the lungs and stomach, dispelling cold to stop coughing, and stopping vomiting and pain. Furthermore, using small amounts of ginger, scallion, and chili as seasonings is generally not a problem, as long as one does not consume too much at once.
These People Should Also Eat Less Ginger
Regular Drinkers
In daily life, some people like to put ginger in their alcohol. Ginger and alcohol are both "hot" in nature, which can easily lead to the accumulation of heat in the body. This can cause eye problems and worsen conditions like hemorrhoids.
Those with Dizziness and Tinnitus
Dizziness and tinnitus are often caused by excessive liver fire. Individuals with these symptoms already have an excess of "yang fire." Consuming too much ginger can aggravate their condition.
Those with Hair Loss
TCM believes that hair is closely related to the kidneys. In the elderly, a deficiency in kidney essence and kidney yin can lead to hair loss, as the hair does not receive adequate nourishment. Ginger is "warm" in nature, and excessive consumption by those with hair loss can worsen kidney yin deficiency, leading to more severe hair loss.
Those with Significant Internal Heat
Symptoms such as lung heat with a dry cough, bad breath, etc., indicate significant internal heat and are not suitable for consuming ginger. If one must eat it, it should be combined with cooling herbs to neutralize ginger's heat.
Those with a Yin Deficiency Constitution
Yin deficiency is characterized by dryness-heat, with main symptoms including hot palms and soles, sweaty palms, dry mouth, eyes, nose, and skin, irritability, and poor sleep. TCM considers ginger to be pungent and warm. The pungent flavor can consume qi and damage yin, so individuals with yin deficiency will find that eating ginger worsens their symptoms.
Patients with Hepatitis
TCM believes that eating ginger can cause liver fire to flare up, so patients with hepatitis should avoid it. If ginger must be consumed, it can be paired with foods that soothe the liver and regulate qi, such as hawthorn and chrysanthemum, to neutralize the dryness caused by ginger.
Those with Stomach Heat
TCM posits that excessive consumption of fried and "hot" foods can lead to symptoms like thirst, a bitter taste in the mouth, and dry mouth, which indicates the stomach has been affected by heat pathogen. Since ginger is warm in nature, consuming it will aggravate the original symptoms in those with stomach heat, so it is not advisable.