The study of red ginger includes the definition, taxonomy, morphology, content, and benefits of red ginger.
Ginger is a medicinal plant in the form of a quasi-trunked clump. Ginger comes from Asia, spreading from India to China. Therefore, these two nations are said to be the first to use ginger, especially as an ingredient in drinks, cooking spices, and traditional medicines.
Red ginger, which has the Latin name Zingiber Officinale Var Rubrum Rhizoma, is a rhizome plant that we often encounter around us and that is used as a traditional medicinal plant and kitchen spice. Red ginger contains gingerol and shogaol as antioxidants.
Red ginger should be cultivated in loose, fertile soil containing lots of organic matter (humus) and well-drained to get fat and fleshy ginger rhizomes. The development of red ginger is generally carried out on latosol, aluvia, red, and yellow podzolic soils, which are quite fertile, and andosol, which contain relatively high levels of organic ingredients. Red ginger plants cannot grow well on soil that has a lot of stagnant water (poor drainage), swamp soil, heavy clay soil, or soil that is dominated by coarse sand or gravel.
Red Ginger: The rhizome is red and smaller than small white ginger; just like small ginger, red ginger is always harvested after it is old and also has the same essential oil content as small ginger, so it is suitable for medicinal purposes.
Ginger rhizomes can be used as a cooking spice, providing aroma and flavor to foods such as bread, cakes, biscuits, confectionery, and various drinks. Ginger can also be used in the medicine industry, perfume industry, traditional herbal medicine industry, processed into pickled ginger, made into pickles, lalap, bandrek, sekoteng, and syrup. Nowadays, chili farmers use ginger as a natural pesticide. In the trade, ginger is sold in the form of fresh, dried, powdered, and preserved ginger. Apart from that, there are processed ginger products such as essential oil and koresin.
Red Ginger: the red part of the layer after the outer skin.
The classification of red ginger plants is as follows:
Division : Spermatophyta
Sub-division : Angiosperms
Class : Mononocotyledononeae
Order : Zingiberase
Family : Zingiberaceae
Genus : Zingiber
Spedes : Zingiber Officinale
- Definition of Red Ginger
Red ginger is a variant of ginger that has a more bitter and spicy taste compared to other types of ginger. The skin of red ginger is pink to light orange, and the flesh is slightly brown. Red ginger is often used as a cooking spice; apart from that, empirically, ginger is also used as one of the constituent components of various medicinal herbs. - Benefits of Red Ginger:
Reduces blood glucose and cholesterol; is anti-aging; relieves menstrual pain; relieves muscle pain; prevents viruses and bacterial infections; strengthens the body’s immune system; treats digestive problems; reduces nausea.
Benefits of Red Ginger for Body Health
- Lowers blood glucose and cholesterol
The content of ginger is also able to reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (bad fat) while increasing good fat (HLD).
Research shows that consuming high doses of red ginger (5 grams per day) can reduce LDL levels if consumed for at least 4 days.
- Anti-Aging
The next benefit of red ginger is controlling the aging process. This is because ginger has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Not only that, but red ginger also has antimicrobial potential. - Relieves menstrual pain
The benefits of red ginger as an anti-inflammatory can also help relieve menstrual pain. In fact, a study states that the effects of red ginger are equivalent to those of pain relievers such as paracetamol. However, this has varying effects on each person.
For women who often experience stomach pain during menstruation, try consuming 2 cups of red ginger tea per day for 3 days.
- It relieves muscle pain.
The benefits of red ginger come from the active components in it, namely zingerone, gingerol, and gingerdione.
reduces leukotrienes and prostaglandins, which trigger inflammation. Red ginger can apparently also reduce pain due to inflammation.
The content in ginger can function as an anti-inflammatory, which can help overcome chronic diseases.
- Prevents viral and bacterial infections
The next benefit of red ginger is as an antimicrobial to ward off viral and bacterial infections. The gingerol content in it is believed to be able to inhibit bacteria, such as E. coli or Shigella. - Strengthens the body’s immune system
Red ginger has the ability to prevent bacterial and viral infections.
The body’s endurance will also be stronger. Red ginger extraction has anti-inflammatory and natural fever-reducing effects. - Treats digestive problems
The benefits of red ginger for treating digestive problems have been believed since previous generations.
The benefits of red ginger for treating digestive problems have been believed since previous generations.
Since ancient times, ginger has been believed to facilitate and prevent various digestive problems.
Red ginger oil extract can protect the digestive system from bad bacteria, such as E.
coli and Salmonella enteritidis, thereby preventing digestive problems. Since ancient times, ginger has been believed to facilitate and prevent various digestive problems.
This herbal plant can increase the speed of digestion so that indigestion problems can be minimized.
- You can consume red ginger by brewing it in tea or in supplement form.
However, especially for pregnant women, you should consult with your doctor first. about consuming red ginger. - Reduces joint pain
The benefits of red ginger are to reduce joint pain due to gout or osteoarthritis. Red ginger can also help reduce uric acid levels in the blood.
Gout is a condition where uric acid builds up in the joints, causing inflammation and pain. Red ginger reduces inflammation in the joints and eliminates uric acid buildup by improving blood circulation.
A red ginger compress can also reduce inflammation because it can reduce prostaglandin and leukotriene levels in elderly gout patients.
In osteoarthritis, red ginger can reduce pain and disability significantly. This is obtained from the anti-inflammatory effect of red ginger and can be felt by consuming 500 mg-1 gram of red ginger every day for 3–12 weeks.
- Inhibits the growth of cancer cells
Red ginger is also said to have the substance Red Ginger: The rhizome is red and smaller than small white ginger; just like small ginger, red ginger is always harvested after it is old and also has the same essential oil content as small ginger, so it is suitable for Ingerol is an anti-cancer and antioxidant ingredient that can inhibit the growth of types of cancer, such as breast, colon, stomach, and prostate cancer. Red ginger cannot replace other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgery.
In fact, until now, the benefits of red ginger as an effective cancer drug still require further research.