Bite me: I am a Spicy Ginger

Ginger is a perennial plant distinguished by its white and yellowish-greenish f lowers, as well as its thick, long, twisting stem. The plant is famous for its concentrated, spicy aroma, which can be attributed to its composition of up to three percent natural essential oils. The stem is the part of the plant generally used for many purposes including culinary and manufacture of essential oils. Ginger is widely used to f lavour foods in cooking, as well as spice drinks such as tea and yoghurt. It is also used in soda drinks, the best known being ginger ale.

This herb has numerous health benefits and has for centuries been used as a natural remedy for many ailments. Some of the conditions ginger is claimed to control or prevent include nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, inflammation, common cold, indigestion and excess intestinal gas.

The substance that gives ginger its f lavour has been proven to inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells. Ginger may also be a powerful weapon in the treatment of ovarian cancer.A study conducted at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Centre found that ginger powder induced cell death in all ovarian cancer cells to which it was applied. Ginger has also been known to decrease nausea caused by chemotherapy during cancer treatment, giving an effect beyond that provided by standard anti-vomiting drugs. Ginger is available as a dried or fresh root, as a tea, in powder form, as a liquid extract, in tablets, capsules, and candy.