The efficacy and function of bitter ginger

Many people are very familiar with galangal. The benefits that galangal brings to us are not available in other foods. So what are the effects of galangal? Let’s learn about it together.

【Alias】Tiger Ginger

[Source] Medicinal material source: The rhizome of Dioscorea zingiberensis, a plant of the Dioscoreaceae family.

[Original form] The small-flowered Dioscorea zingiberensis is a twining herbaceous vine. The rhizome is horizontal, cylindrical, with finger-like or irregular branches. After the fibrous roots are removed after drying, white dot-like marks are often left. The stem is left-handed, glabrous, sometimes slightly convex on both sides of the branches or petiole base, or with short spines. Simple leaves are alternate; leaf blades are nearly leathery, green, gray-brown after drying, triangular-ovate, oblong or ovate, sometimes 3-5 shallowly lobed, the middle lobe is triangular-ovate, the lobes on both sides are auriculate, the margins are shallowly wavy, sometimes the margins are membranous, the apex is gradually pointed, the base is broadly cordate, cordate or nearly truncated, and both surfaces are glabrous. Male inflorescence is not branched or branched, solitary or clustered in 2-3 in leaf axils; male flowers are sessile, often clustered in 2-3, and then arranged in spikes, with only 1-2 flowers developed in each cluster, and 3-4 membranous bracts at the base, which are ovate or triangular-ovate; the perianth is 6-lobed, the lobes are ovate, flat when the flowers are open, purple-red, and black after drying; there are 6 stamens, which are born on the edge of the receptacle, the filaments are extremely short, almost as long as the anthers, and the anthers are introverted. The female inflorescence is similar to the male inflorescence; the male inflorescence is reduced to a filamentous shape. The capsule is triangular, each rib is wing-shaped and crescent-shaped, blue-black when dry, and often has white powder on the surface; there are 2 seeds in each locule, which are born in the middle of the central axis and are surrounded by membranous wings. The flowering period is from March to August, and the fruiting period is from August to December.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown in sparse thickets or bamboo forests in the dry-hot river valley areas of limestone on hillsides at an altitude of 400-2000m.

[Chemical composition] The tubers contain diosgenin and gamogenin. The rhizomes contain giberenin and steroidal glycosides: gracillin, protogracillin, deltonin, deltoside, zin.giberenin A and protozingiberenin A.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter; pungent; cool

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and detoxifies; promotes blood circulation and reduces swelling. Mainly used for carbuncle, furuncle, swelling and poison; soft tissue injury; bee sting and insect bite

【Usage and Dosage】 For external use: appropriate amount, crush the fresh product and apply it.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

This is all we have to say about the effects of galangal. I hope it will be helpful to you. Although the value of galangal is very high, we must be cautious when eating it.