Preface

Ginger is a member of the family Zingiberaceae. Ginger was probably initially domesticated by peoples from Maritime Southeast Asia, who brought it with them during the Austronesian expansion (about 5,000 years ago), as they traveled across the Indo-Pacific region all the way to Hawaii. Ancient Greeks and Romans made use of ginger, one of the earliest spices to be sold from Asia and brought to Europe as part of the spice trade. Because of their flavour, the dicot plants belonging to the genus *Asarum*, which are very distantly related to one another, are sometimes referred to as wild ginger. The output of ginger throughout the globe reached 4.1 million tonnes in 2019, with India accounting for 44% of the global total.

Ginger is a natural spice that is used in cuisines worldwide to add a flavorful punch to the food that is being cooked. It also has a long history of use as a traditional herbal remedy for a number of common conditions. Although it is used in traditional medicine and as a dietary supplement, there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that ingesting ginger or its extracts has any positive impact on human health or is a cure for various illnesses. However, there is a good deal of interest in using ginger in therapeutic applications where there is an expectation of clinical results. The therapeutic uses of ginger may be divided into six categories: nausea and vomiting, gastrointestinal function, pain, inflammation, metabolic syndromes, and other symptoms. According to the findings of the vast majority of studies, ginger has been shown to be effective in a variety of settings, such as the treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP), the improvement of digestive function, the reduction of colorectal cancer risk markers, and anti-inflammatory functions.

This book contains 12 chapters, each of which examines a different aspect of the therapeutic uses of ginger, providing an overview of current advances in the field. The book will be a useful reference manual for those engaged in the study of ginger, including students, academics, and industry professionals. In addition, I hope that it will inspire new research ideas for the future.

> **Dr. Prashant Kaushik** Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

> > CULTA Inc., Tokyo, Japan

**1**

Section 1

Medicinal Properties
