Spice and medicine: zingiber officinale.

ABSTRACT

Dietary agents including spices, vegetables and fruits have drawn a great deal of attention from both the science peoples and the general public due to their various health promoting effects, these agents consist of a wide variety of biologically active compounds, many of them have been used as traditional medicines from thousands of years. Zingiber officinale commonly known as ginger is one of the most widely used species of the ginger family, commonly used as a condiment for various foods and beverages. It has a long history of medicinal use dating back 2500 years. Ginger is well known all over the world especially for its use in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract such as constipation, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. Ginger is described by Dioscorides as hot, digestive, gently laxative and stomachic. This article aims at reviewing the Zingiber officinale on the basis of Traditional system of Medicine and to discuss its recent Phytochemical and Pharmacological studies.