Along with onion and garlic, ginger is one of the most trusted cooking ingredients we can’t do without. We use it in bread and pastries, seafood, meat, soups, salad dressings, stir-fry dishes, and even desserts. Call us ginger-obsessed, but we can’t run out of this in-demand kitchen essential as it dramatically enriches the flavors of various food recipes.
But don’t you know that the versatility of this wonder spice isn’t limited to culinary benefits alone? Since the ancient era, ginger has been a popular aid for various medical conditions. Until these days, ginger is widely used in the field of alternative medicine or as a supplement to conventional medications.
Used in both diet or healing purposes, sure enough, ginger can bring about significant improvements in your health and well-being.
Abundant and priced cheap in every market or grocery store, who would have thought that ginger used to be an expensive commodity traded for a sheep? It’s hard to believe, but this was the situation hundreds of years ago. Those were the times when you’re considered rich if you could own a pound of ginger in exchange of a valuable possession.
Fortunately, it’s easy to find ginger these days. Besides using it as a cooking or baking ingredient, you can also eat it fresh or dried. Ginger tea and grated ginger vegetable juice are also growing in popularity among organic diet junkies. Among all ginger products though, the most powerful in terms of medicinal properties is the Ginger Essential Oil.
Ginger Essential Oil Benefits
Ginger Essential Oil offers you tons of benefits to thank for. Some of these are listed below.
- Helps the digestive system to function well, acting as an aid to common digestive ailments
- Improves appetite
- Relieves respiratory problems
- Prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic illnesses
- Alleviates different kinds of pain
- Treats psychological disorders
- Reduces nausea
- Acts as a natural aphrodisiac
Ginger Essential Oil has the highest concentration of gingerol, a compound possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is responsible for fighting off free-radical damage and treating illnesses. Composed of 90% sesquiterpenes, Ginger Essential Oil can also act as a strong defender against bacteria.
It doesn’t only heal physically, but it heals a number of psychological problems as well. For example, when used in aromatherapy, ginger oil boosts positive feelings such as courage and confidence. It is known to help people combat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.
Studies show that it is generally safe to use. However, there are certain health conditions to be considered as it may cause adverse reactions to some individuals.
Ginger Essential Oil Uses
- Ginger Essential Oil as a Treatment to Digestive Problems. Ginger Essential Oil can treat common problems in the digestive system including diarrhea, indigestion, flatulence, spasm, stomach ache, and vomiting. It can also increase appetite which is good news for people who wish to gain weight.
Add two to three drops of Ginger Essential Oil to a warm bath to detoxify and promote proper digestion. To stop vomiting, you can add a drop of Ginger Essential Oil to a cup of tea or a glass of drinking water.
- Ginger Essential Oil as a Relief to Common Respiratory Ailments. Cases of respiratory problems are growing in number these days. With poor air quality caused by pollution, irritants, and allergens, this situation is inevitable. Good thing, Ginger Essential Oil provides natural relief to respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, colds, flu, and cough.
Add one drop of Ginger Essential Oil to a cup of green tea. Drink this solution two times a day. In just a few tea sessions, you’ll notice gradual breathing improvement.
- Ginger Essential Oil as a Solution for Improving Cardiovascular Health. Ginger has the ability to lower cholesterol levels in the body. It also reduces blood clotting. This is good for people with high risk of getting hypertension, atherosclerosis, and stroke.
Rub one to two drops of Ginger Essential Oil on your left chest twice daily to improve blood circulation and other cardiovascular system’s proper functions.
- Ginger Essential Oil as Chronic-Disease Fighter. Cancer, kidney diseases, and other chronic ailments all hate ginger. Ginger Essential Oil is rich in antioxidant properties which protect the body against free-radical damage that may lead to serious health problems.
So whenever your dish needs ginger, add one to two drops to its ingredients. Use it in cooking as often as necessary.
- Ginger Essential Oil as Pain Relief. Ginger Essential Oil can treat aches and pains, including menstrual discomfort. In fact, research shows that this natural remedy is even more effective than medical painkillers. You can either include it in your warm detox bath to relieve chronic pain, or use it as a topical massage oil.
For topical use, apply two to three drops on the affected area and massage it gently. Do it two times a day to see significant improvement in your condition.
- Ginger Essential Oil as an Aid to Psychological Disorders. Do you have an upcoming presentation but you have terrible stage fright? No worries. Ginger comes to the rescue. It’s amazing how aromatherapy using ginger oil can boost your self-confidence, calm your mind and body, and remove stress. Study shows that it can also alleviate the symptoms of depression.
Take a relaxing ginger bath or add two to three drops of Ginger Essential Oil to a diffuser and inhale the solution twice a day. See how effective it can be in bringing out your best positive mood and attitude.
- Ginger Essential Oil as a Cure to Nausea. If you’ve been feeling nauseous after a long day on travel, apply one to two drops of Ginger Essential Oil on your tummy to ease yourself from discomfort.
- Ginger Essential Oil as a Natural Aphrodisiac. One of the natural remedies for impotence is Ginger Essential Oil. It is regarded as a natural aphrodisiac because of its warming and stimulating effects.
Apply one to two drops of Ginger Essential Oil on your lower abdomen or on your feet to aid this problem.
Ginger Essential Oil Side Effects
- Allergic Reactions. People allergic to ginger should never try using its oil. It may cause skin rashes, heartburn, diarrhea, nausea, stomach ache, and mouth sores.
- Bleeding Disorders. Ginger reduces blood-clotting, therefore, it should never be used along with blood thinners such as aspirin, as this may induce bleeding. Moreover, if you have bleeding disorder, avoid using ginger at all.
- If you’re taking medication for diabetes, ginger may interact with your medicines, which could lead to fluctuating blood sugar levels that are either too high or too low.
- Cardiovascular Diseases. Ginger isn’t good for people suffering from hypotension as it lowers blood pressure.
How to Use Ginger Essential Oil
- A few drops of Ginger Essential Oil is a great ingredient for detox bath. While relaxing in the tub, take in slowly its pungent, yet soothing scent that relaxes your mind and body. You can also use a diffuser and inhale its aroma twice daily.
- Relieve aches and pains by massaging the affected areas on your body with two to three drops of ginger oil.
- Use it for culinary purposes or add a drop to a cup of tea for optimal health benefits.
How to Make Ginger Essential Oil
Steam distillation is the commercial method of extracting Ginger Essential Oil. Machines used in the process, are excellent in ensuring pure oil quality with little to no residue at all. It is less time consuming as steam distillation happens in just 60 minutes. No other solvent is used in the process, other than water, which ensures overall safety of the finished product.
Ginger Essential Oil Recipe
It’s easy to prepare a DIY Ginger Essential Oil at home by following this procedure:
Step 1. Wash a cup of fresh ginger and let it dry completely afterwards.
Step 2. Pour 1 and ½ cups of olive oil in an oven-safe container.
Step 3. Chop and grate the ginger, then add it to the olive oil. Mix the two ingredients well.
Step 4. Let the mixture simmer in the oven under 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave it for two hours.
Step 5. Pour the extracted Ginger Essential Oil over a cheesecloth to a sterilized bottle. Make sure you remove all the residue.
When everything is done, keep your Ginger Essential Oil to a cool dry place out of reach of children.
Where to Buy Ginger Essential Oil
With just a few swipes on your smartphone, you can purchase the best Ginger Essential Oil brands from online selling platforms. Before coming up with a decision, compare brands carefully. Look for positive reviews and be wary about the negative ones. Some popular brands are doTERRA, Edens Garden, and Artizen.
More Information on Ginger Essential Oil
- Although there are claims that Ginger Essential Oil is effective in relieving morning sickness, pregnant women should consult their doctors first before using it.
- Ginger oil isn’t suitable for very young children.
- Don’t apply it on sun-exposed skin areas if you’re about to head out in the sun as ginger oil may be phototoxic.
- There’s not enough evidence that guarantees its safety for lactating mothers, so it’s better not to use it at all.
