Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is something most of us are probably familiar with – especially at this time of year with gingerbread being a fairly common treat over the holidays! Many people use ginger root in tea or food preparation to aid in getting over a cold (or help keep one at bay when you feel it coming) and to help with digestion.
The essential oil is steam distilled from the root of the ginger plant. As well as digestion mentioned above, Ginger EO is good for helping combat nausea and motion sickness. It is good for respiratory issues like congestion and is an expectorant (helping you get rid of the mucous build up). It is also a warming oil that is beneficial to circulation and can have some benefit on arthritis and muscle aches.
A couple of things to keep in mind – ginger is an anti-coagulant and the EO is photosensitive (meaning it shouldn’t be used on an area that will be exposed to sunlight within 24 hours).
This is an energizing EO that I’m looking forward to using a bit more often in the new year and while I seem to have gotten away from eating ginger in the past few months, I plan to correct that – starting with some ginger cookies that I’ve made. Okay maybe not the best way to get my ginger but it is tasty!
