The wonders of ginger

MANILA, Philippines - For most people, ginger or “luya” in the vernacular is a mere herb used for many common food recipes. Researches, however, have established that it also has many medicinal benefits.

The Chinese who are known to have a penchant for using natural and herbal ingredients actually use ginger in many of their traditional medicines.

Ginger’s curative powers are traced to ancient China. For 7,000 years, its natural anti-inflammatory properties have made it widespread in China’s medicinal market. To this date more than 50 percent of all traditional Chinese herbal remedies contain ginger.

Ginger extracts have been found to be good for treating ovarian cancer and heart disease. It is particularly renowned however for its soothing and muscle relaxing properties. It relieves pain caused by various strenuous physical activities and mental stresses. It also promotes microcirculation, is a natural antioxidant therefore it energizes the skin, and has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects.

One such product line that capitalizes on the benefits of ginger is the Tai Chi brand of ginger-based rubbing creams and liniments marketed by Rhodesian distributor.

Isabel Ferrer, brand manager of Rhodesian explains the different variants. First is the liniment with ginger that is good for soothing various body aches and pains caused by strenuous physical activities and injuries such as muscle strains.

The base component of the ginger liniment is virgin coconut oil (VCO) which Ferrer explains “eliminates the sticky and greasy feel associated with liniments and helps the ginger components penetrate the skin in order to maximize its effects.”

There is also the rub with ginger that is also good for soothing body pains but is particularly useful for relieving headaches brought on by work stress and too much worrying. Unlike liniments, ginger rub is recommended to be applied on the temple area of the head, and can also be used as an inhalant for soothing nasal discomfort and headaches as well.

Last is the ginger medicated plaster, again for soothing body pains. The advantage of using plasters is that it retains the effect of ginger for considerably longer durations. Ferrer says they use gel-type plasters which is easy and not painful to remove.

The Tai Chi brand has all these variants. It can be found in major supermarkets and drugstores.

For more information on Tai Chi liniments, rubs and plasters, visit Facebook page www.facebook.com/taichi.philippines or call 367-4494, 367-4364, 0922-8310755 or 0927-9227803.