1. Names:

Sanskrit:	Stringa-vera, Ardakam		Enlarge photo
English:	Ginger
Botanical:	Zingiber officinale
Hindi:	Adarak
Telugu:	Allamu, Ardrakamu
Common names:	Marathi: Sunt Malyalam: Inci Konkani: Alem Urdu: Adroko Kannada: Ardraka
Family name:	Zingiberaceae

2. Parts used:

• Root

3. Properties and Action According to Indigenous Medical Systems:

• Rasa: Spicy in taste.
• Veerya: Ushnaveerya.
• Veepaka: Mathura.

4. Uses:

(Medicinal)

• It is aphrodisiac.
• It balances Kapha and aama doshas.
• It is useful in the treatment of disease related to Vaata doshas.
• It clears abdominal diseases and worms, bronchitis or asthma, heart disease, dropsy, cholera, nausea, bad taste in the mouth.
• It is carminative, diuretic.
• Good remedy for gastric disorders, rheumatism, fevers and nervous diseases.
• Good remedy for abdominal distention when it is mixed with castor oil.
• A mixture of ginger and honey induces motion and also cures tympanites.
• Recommended remedy for colic, diarrhoea, flatulence, dyspepsia and loss of appetite.
• It relieves the cough and sore throat.
• Relieves pain, swelling, head-ache and tooth-ache as external paste.
• It is used for conjunctiva, brain symptoms in fevers, insanity.
• It also used as Nasya.
• Relieves headache, heaviness in the head and and hysteria.
• It cures pains, inflammations of liver.
• It is a tonic, anorexia.

5. Names due to Physical properties:

• Mahowshadam: Great medicine.
• Katugrandhi: The pant with spicy root.

6. Names due to Medical properties:

• Kaphahari: Balances Kapha dosha.

7. Reference:

Vasthu guna deepika, Vasthu guna prakashika, Chakradatta, Susrutam,
Basabarajeezam, Bhavaprakashika, Vangacena, Charakasamhita, Vagvatamu, Hareetasamhita, Srijanakalpavalli.

If you think that any information given on this page is not complete, please do not hesitate to let us know. If you are from the press or a practitioner or scientist - or if you just need more information or a high resolution photo, you are more than welcome to write us an email any time.

Thank you.