It is encouraging to see that more and more conventional physicians are joining the ranks of naturopaths in underscoring the importance of a healthy diet in preventing and curing disease. One physician who is a strong advocate of natural health flat-out tells people in lectures and articles that he writes that what people put on their forks is more powerful medicine than any pharmaceutical we will find at the bottom of a pill bottle.
His statement is bold, poignant — and entirely accurate. After all, the old saying, “You are what you eat,” is necessarily true. There is nothing more, and nothing less, inside our bodies, than the foods that we consume, the water that we drink, the air that we breathe.
Avoiding processed foods and opting for natural, preferably organic foods, is a terrific start toward good health.
But in addition to consuming foods grown in the soil (as opposed to made in a lab), there are things that we can do to optimize healthy eating, even while we pick from among the bountiful offerings that the land gives us.
Take the case of garlic and ginger, two condiments that have been used throughout the world to season foods for thousands of years. Both add a wonderful “kick” to foods, livening up dishes and enhancing their aromas.
But some people might be unaware of just how medicinal these two plants are.
Both are antimicrobial and antifungal. So, right off the bat, we know that they will promote good digestion, by helping to maintain harmful bacteria and fungal populations in the digestive tract under control.
But the health benefits of garlic and ginger reach much farther than that.
Garlic’s Medicinal Properties
Garlic’s list of health-promoting and disease-curing properties is perhaps the longest and most impressive of any edible natural substance known to man.
Hippocrates, the Greek physician from the 4th century B.C., now known as “the Father of Medicine,” mentioned in his writings the use of garlic to cure many conditions, including intestinal parasites, respiratory problems, and poor digestion.
Early in the 20th century, garlic was used to treat tuberculosis. And in World War I and World War II, it was used topically to prevent gangrene in injured soldiers.
In the digestive tract, garlic is beneficial for good gut flora, while killing and stopping the growth of bad flora and fungi. As a result, some natural-health advocates consider garlic to be better than most doctor-prescribed antibiotics, since it leaves good gut bacteria intact, instead of killing them, like antibiotics do (killing the good bacteria weakens a person’s immune system and leaves them more susceptible to other infections).
Garlic’s active ingredients have also been shown to interact with the nucleic acids of some viruses, including the herpes virus, thus keeping their populations from proliferating.
In addition to boosting the immune system, garlic has been found to be beneficial for the cardiovascular system.
Consumed in good, steady quantities, garlic produces a decrease in blood pressure. It helps dilate blood vessels, so it is recommended for people suffering from hypertension, arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, and other heart problems (including people who have suffered heart attacks).
Garlic helps decrease clotting of blood platelets, keeping the blood circulating more freely and helping with conditions such as thrombosis and embolisms.
Garlic also reduces levels of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) in the blood, and it helps to normalize blood sugar levels. This latter property would be useful for all of us, but especially for those battling issues of diabetes or obesity.
Garlic has also been recommended for:
*Diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and colitis
*Food poisoning
*Intestinal flora imbalance, often caused by antibiotics or a high-sugar diet
*Urinary infections
*Bronchial infections, coughs, and asthma
In addition, garlic stimulates different types of white blood cells in our immune system. These are the cells that protect us from harmful microorganisms. They also destroy cancerous cells in the beginning stages of tumor formation.
Garlic is easy to grow and can be grown year-round in mild climates. It’s grown all over the world, but China takes the distinction of being by far the largest supplier of garlic to the world, producing more than 77 percent of the world’s output. The United States, which is sixth in global production, grows garlic in every state, except Alaska.
The best way to eat garlic is to buy it fresh, then peel and crush the cloves with a garlic press (you can also grind peeled cloves on the finest holes of a cheese shredder). Mincing garlic in this way releases its allicin, garlic’s antibiotic and antifungal compound.
Garlic can be used to enhance the flavor of just about all salty foods, while promoting good health for you and your family. However, because it does reduce blood clotting (just like aspirin), and because it has such strong antibacterial properties, garlic may interfere with certain heart medications and antibiotics. Consult with your doctor, if you take either of these two types of medications, before consuming garlic on a regular basis.
Ginger’s Curative Properties
Another plant that a person concerned with healthy, natural eating should add to their cooking regularly is fresh ginger root.
Ginger is perhaps most noted for its calming effects on the stomach, and its ability to ease symptoms of nausea and vomiting associated with a long list of health conditions, from motion sickness to morning sickness. As a folk remedy, ginger has been used to help with indigestion, constipation, and even baby colic. Ginger relaxes the stomach and soothes acidic levels inside.
As an antibacterial, ginger is helpful in treating some types of diarrhea, intestinal infections and ulcers. Like garlic, ginger also scores high marks as a digestive aid: it kills the harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestines that could disrupt the balance of beneficial flora in the gastrointestinal tract.
And like garlic, ginger also stimulates blood circulation. As an anti-inflammatory, ginger can be used to ease pain and swelling associated with arthritis, headaches, and toothaches.
Other health-boosting qualities that ginger shares with garlic:
*Both reduce bad LDL cholesterol in the blood by preventing its absorption from foods, and by increasing its elimination from the body
*Both reduce platelet aggregation and support cardiovascular health
*Both are increasingly being shown to have anti-cancer properties. In the case of ginger, scientists in several countries, including the U.S., have found that compounds in ginger root may prevent different types of cancer, including breast and colon cancers
Because of ginger’s anti-clotting effects on blood platelets, regular consumption of ginger could interfere with heart medications (including aspirin). So, if you take these, consult with your doctor before incorporating ginger into your regular diet. People who have had ulcers, irritable bowel disorder or blocked intestines may also react adversely to eating large amounts of fresh ginger. People with gallstones could also have trouble with ginger, as ginger helps the liver produce bile, which may make gallstone production more likely.
Other than the above precautions, however, ginger is a versatile condiment that can be used with most foods (including baked sweet goods, for which ground ginger is more commonly used). Fresh ginger root can be finely chopped or thinly sliced. Some ancient cultures put sliced ginger in boiling water, then add orange or lemon juice, and drink it as a stomach-soothing tea.
With so many benefits to be gained from regular consumption of fresh garlic and ginger, don’t forget to throw some in your shopping cart the next time you go food-shopping!
By Marc Courtoil