There are about a hundred varieties of ginger, all native to tropical Asia. Today, it is the most widely cultivated spice and grown in tropical regions the world over.
In India, it was used and cultivated by Vedic medical practitioners.
What medicine says: Ginger is a stimulating herb that relieves flatulence, strengthens the digestive system, stimulates glandular secretions and relieves nausea. In Chinese medicine it is used to treat colds, coughs, diarrhea, uterine bleeding, urinary bleeding and digestive disorders. It is also used to treat cold associated with shock. Dry ginger is said to be good for chronic bronchitis.
It is widely used in Ayurveda to treat a host of disorders—digestive complaints, morning sickness, jaundice, piles, colds and coughs, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough and impotency.