Organic ginger – the spicy miracle root
In its homeland, ginger has served two functions for hundreds of years: as a spice and as a medicinal plant. The fresh, citrussy sharpness of this miracle spice still characterises the cuisine of East Asia today. For us, too, it’s hard to imagine everyday life in the kitchen without ginger. Whether in tea, meat and vegetable curries, or candied as a sweet treat, ginger can be enjoyed in many different ways! Combined with other organic ingredients, the organic ginger extract used in lavera’s body cleansing products guarantees a fresh and invigorating effect – like a natural alarm clock for the skin!
A tropical root travels the world
Ginger belongs to the ginger family and is mainly cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions such as India, Malaysia, and China. The botanical name of ginger is “Zingiber officinale”. It is a perennial plant that can grow to a height of up to one metre. The good things in life are often hidden, and this is the case with ginger: the so-called rhizome, the actual ginger root, grows underground. As a natural medicinal plant with bioactive ingredients, it has been regarded with great importance in its native India and China for more than 5,000 years. More recently, the ancient Romans and Greeks also took a liking to this tropical miracle root. Its popularity grew so much that in England during the 13th century it was seen as an expensive luxury item that was especially coveted by the aristocracy. It was also during this period that the renowned ginger tea first came into being.
Ginger root is a natural miracle worker: it contains many essential oils (e.g. Zingiberene) as well as the spicy substance Gingerol. In traditional medicine, the root was used early on as a remedy for gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea and vomiting, and cold symptoms. Ginger has an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and stimulating effect on the circulatory system.
