Zingiber
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Zingiber officinale |
The genus Zingiber contains the true gingers, a set of plants with medicinal and culinary value in many parts of the world. The most well-known is Z. officinale, garden ginger.
[edit] Culinary
Each ginger species has a different culinary usage; for example, myoga is valued for the stem and flowers. Garden ginger's rhizome is the classic spice "ginger", and may be used whole, candied (known commonly as crystallized ginger), or dried and powdered. Other popular gingers used in cooking include cardamom and turmeric[1], though neither of these examples is a "true ginger" - they belong to different genera in the Zingiberaceae family.
Zingiber Use
Essential oil derived from the rhizome, (the root-like stem), of Zingiber cassumunar Roxburgh, an herbal plant used in Southeast Asia for centuries for a broad range of medical conditions.
Medical research studies into the medicinal properties of various plants in the ginger (Zingiberaceae) family have isolated the Zingiber cassumunar and Zingiber officinale species for its anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and pain relieving activity*
In many countries, Zingiber is widely used in traditional remedies as a single plant or as a component of herbal recipes. The extract, from the rhizome of the plant, pictured on the right, has been used topically for centuries for the treatment of sprains, contusions, joint inflammations, muscular pain, abscesses and similar inflammation-related disorders.
Products that can be developed using Zingiber
ZingiberRx Joint and Muscle Cream, containing Zingiber cassumunar essential oil and powder is available in North America. Formulation scientists have discovered a distillation process to effectively extract the essential oils by using a little known cold press essential oil extraction. Zingiber essential oils are extracted from the rhizome and formulated into an effective, fast-absorbing, deep-penetrating joint and muscle cream.
One research study* concludes the essential oil of Zingiber cassumunar found in ZingiberRx inhibits the cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) enzyme, which is known to play a central role in inflammatory diseases and pain. This mechanism of action is the basis of the effectiveness and worldwide success of the Cox-2 inhibitors, which are systemic prescription medications used to treat arthritis pain and inflammation.
- Resource information from http://www.zingiberrx.com
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