There is a popular saying that "ginger cures a hundred ailments." This is because ginger contains oily volatile substances such as gingerol, zingiberene, phellandrene, and citral, as well as gingerol, resin, starch, and fiber. Therefore, ginger has effects such as invigorating the spirit, promoting sweating, and lowering the body temperature during hot weather. It can also alleviate symptoms like fatigue, listlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, abdominal bloating, and stomach pain.
Ginger also has the effect of strengthening the stomach and stimulating the appetite. In hot weather, the secretion of saliva and gastric juice decreases, which affects a person's appetite. Eating a few slices of ginger with a meal can help to increase it.
There are many ways to eat ginger. For example, drinking ginger soup, eating congee with ginger, adding some shredded ginger when stir-frying in hot oil, adding ginger slices when stewing meat or frying fish, and adding minced ginger to the filling of dumplings or wontons. These methods not only make the food more delicious but also help to refresh the stomach and mind, stimulate the appetite, aid digestion, and help the gastrointestinal tract absorb nutrients. However, since ginger has medicinal properties, some of its uses and contraindications should be noted. The following points should be paid attention to:
1. Do not peel it. Some people like to peel ginger when eating it, but doing so prevents ginger from exerting its full effects. Fresh ginger should be washed before being sliced or shredded.
2. People with conditions such as yin deficiency with blazing fire, red eyes and internal heat, or who suffer from carbuncles, sores, pneumonia, lung abscess, tuberculosis, stomach ulcers, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, diabetes, or hemorrhoids should not consume ginger long-term.
3. From a therapeutic perspective, ginger brown sugar water is only suitable for patients with colds due to wind-cold or for those who have caught in the rain and have a cold stomach 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.
4. 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, and others. The saying that "rotten ginger doesn't rot its flavor" is unscientific.
5. Eating ginger is not a case of "the more, the better." In summer, the weather is hot, and people are prone to a dry mouth, irritability, thirst, sore throat, and excessive sweating. Ginger is pungent and warm in nature and is considered a "hot" food. According to the principle of "treating heat with cold," it should not be eaten in large quantities. Adding a few slices of ginger when cooking or making soup is sufficient.