Wild Ginger

Wild ginger; Asarum

A forest floor plant with aromatic rhizomatous roots. The leaves are deciduous and sprout annually from the underground stem in spring, they may reach a height of up to 400mm. The leaves are light green, lance shaped and borne on the end of stem-like leaf bases. The male and female organs are borne on separate plants, female plants tend to be smaller than male plants. The small berry-like fruits are produced at or near ground level after the flowers.
It is used by the Zulu people as a protection against lightning and snakes. The rhizomes and roots are chewed fresh to treat asthma, hysteria, colds, coughs & flu. A preparation of this plant is administered to horses as prevention against horse sickness. Wild Ginger is used by the Swati people to treat malaria and is chewed by women during menstruation.

one of the Zulu’s top herbal medicines and widely used throughout its distribution area. This plant is highly prized for its medicinal value and as a result has been over harvested from the wild to a point just short of total extinction in South Africa.
This plant has a long history in African traditional medicine for a range of conditions including arthritis, asthma, candida, colds & flu, coughs, dysmenorrhoea, headaches, hysteria, influenza, menstrual cramps, mild asthma, mood swings, premenstrual syndrome, sinusitis, throat infections, thrush and to clear nasal passages.

The African ginger has a stimulating effect on the heart and circulation, creating a feeling of warmth and well-being and restoring vitality, especially for those feeling the cold in winter.

Hot ginger tea promotes perspiration, brings down a fever and helps to clear catarrh. Ginger has a stimulating and expectorant action in the lungs, expelling phlegm and relieving catarrhal coughs and chest infections.

African ginger is a wonderful aid to digestion. It invigorates the stomach and intestines, stimulating the appetite and enhancing digestion by encouraging secretion of digestive enzymes. It moves stagnation of food and subsequent accumulation of toxins, which has a far-reaching effect throughout the body, increasing general health, vitality and enhancing immunity.

African ginger is famous for relieving nausea and vomiting, from whatever cause. It settles the stomach, soothes indigestion and calms wind. Its pain-relieving and relaxing effects in the gut relieve colic and spasm, abdominal pain, distension and flatulent indigestion and help to relieve griping caused by diarrhoea.

In the uterus it promotes menstruation, useful for delayed and scanty periods as well as clots. African ginger relaxes spasm and relieves painful ovulation and periods, and is recommended to invigorate the reproductive system. African ginger also inhibits clotting and thins the blood; it lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
A preparation of this plant is administered to horses as prevention against horse sickness.

Europeans regard the African ginger as Africa’s best natural anti-inflammatory remedy, besides its many other uses.

Other beneficial uses:

• African ginger is an excellent remedy for digestive complaints (indigestion, nausea, gas, colic and congestion).
• African ginger 's antiseptic qualities make it highly beneficial for gastro-intestinal infections.
• Circulatory stimulant - stimulates the circulation making it an important remedy for chilblains and poor circulation. By improving the circulation, ginger helps reducing high blood pressure.
• African ginger helps to "thin" the blood as well as to lower cholesterol.
• African ginger is useful as a supplement for heartburn & halitosis (bad breath).
• African ginger is known to relieve vomiting and to sooth the stomach and spleen in the process.
• African ginger is a warm vascular stimulant and body cleanser. It encourages the removal of toxins through the skin, and through increased kidney filtration.
• African ginger relieves motion sickness and morning sickness.

More: www.herbalafrica.co.za/africanginger.html