The saying 'eat radish in winter and ginger in summer' is deeply rooted in the traditional concept of the common people, highlighting the important position of ginger in Chinese food culture and traditional Chinese medicine. Is it not appropriate to eat ginger in winter? In fact, there is also a saying in the folk that goes' eating ginger in winter and garlic in summer saves you from having to revolve around doctors'. This indicates that scientific use of ginger can have health benefits in different seasons. Eating ginger in winter is essential. When consuming it, attention should be paid to factors such as moderation, personal physique, cooking methods, and consumption time, in order to ensure that the health benefits of ginger are enjoyed while avoiding unnecessary health risks. Let me introduce you to the big family of ginger. Ginger, dried ginger, and turmeric are common types of ginger in our daily lives. In fact, these three types of ginger are originally one substance, all of which have the effects of warming the middle and dispelling coldness, and regulating spleen and stomach coldness. However, due to different processing methods, their efficacy also varies. Ginger is a warm and pungent herb that belongs to the lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. It is good at relieving external heat and dispelling coldness, and is known as the "holy medicine for vomiting" due to its excellent therapeutic effect in treating vomiting. Dried ginger is spicy and hot, good at guarding the middle, and tends to dispel coldness in the inner part. Pao Jiang is good at dispersing blood and is skilled at warming meridians to stop bleeding. The ancients summarized it as "Ginger walks but does not stay, dried ginger can walk but stay, cannon ginger stays but does not go". In daily health preservation, ginger is the most commonly used, such as when cooking or boiling ginger soup in our daily lives. Due to the abundant fresh ingredients in ginger, it has the effects of preventing wind cold and colds that we usually refer to. Therefore, when making ginger soup at home, ginger is a more suitable choice. And dried ginger is often used in traditional Chinese medicine formulas, mainly reflecting its effects of returning yang and promoting blood circulation, warming the lungs and promoting diuresis. It has a greater thermal property than ginger. Pao Jiang is more suitable for women with lower levels of deficiency and coldness. The benefits of eating ginger in winter are that it can warm the body and dispel coldness. Ginger is warm in nature and helps dispel coldness, keeping the body warm. It is especially suitable for people with cold bodies and has a good preventive and relieving effect on common cold and wind cold in winter. In addition, ginger can dilate blood vessels, increase blood flow, and help improve symptoms of cold hands and feet in winter. To prevent motion sickness and seasickness, people who suffer from motion sickness and seasickness can take a few slices of ginger or drink some ginger water during the ride, which has the effect of reducing nausea and vomiting. Promoting digestion of gingerol can stimulate gastric juice secretion, enhance gastrointestinal motility, and moderate consumption of ginger can help improve indigestion and increase appetite. The cold and humid winter weather can easily cause joint pain, and curcumin in ginger has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, which can alleviate joint pain. Ginger also contains antioxidant components that can help improve immunity and combat common respiratory diseases such as colds and flu in winter. Ginger also has the function of sweating and relieving symptoms such as headaches and fever, which can help alleviate symptoms such as chills, fever, and headaches that appear in the early stages of respiratory diseases. Unlocking the health recipe for ginger, cooking and seasoning. The most common winter consumption suggestion is probably stir frying and seasoning. When stir frying vegetables or meat, adding an appropriate amount of ginger shreds or slices can not only increase the aroma and taste of the dish, but also help to unleash the warming and cooling effects of ginger. Boil ginger soup by slicing or shredding ginger, adding it to hot water and boiling it to make ginger soup. It can drive away cold and keep warm, especially suitable for drinking in winter. You can also add some ginger slices to chicken soup or other soups to increase the cold dispelling effect. Ginger tea is a simple and effective warming drink in winter. Cut a few slices of fresh ginger, brew with hot water, and season with a little honey or lemon. Not only does it have a sweet taste, but it can also help keep the body warm and warm. It can also be paired with brown sugar to enhance its nourishing effect. Ginger candy and ginger slices snacks are suitable for consumption as small snacks, which can help warm the stomach. Precautions for Eating Ginger in Winter: Moderate consumption of ginger in winter is beneficial, but attention should also be paid to the methods and precautions of consumption. While enjoying the health benefits brought by ginger, it is also important to ensure one's own physical health and safety. Confucius said in the Analects of Confucius, 'Do not withdraw from ginger, do not eat too much.'. After finishing the meal, I didn't remove the ginger, but I didn't eat too much. Although ginger has many benefits, excessive consumption can also lead to internal heat, causing discomfort symptoms such as dry mouth, sore throat, and constipation. Therefore, it is advisable to eat ginger in moderation during winter. Avoid eating ginger on an empty stomach, which is a spicy and warm food. Eating on an empty stomach can promote gastric acid secretion, stimulate the gastric mucosa, and may cause discomfort symptoms such as stomach pain and belching. Therefore, consuming ginger on an empty stomach should be avoided. Do not eat spoiled ginger. When purchasing and storing ginger, pay attention to checking its freshness and avoid consuming rotten ginger. Because rotten ginger produces a highly toxic substance that can easily induce liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and other diseases. Caution: Ginger may interact with other medications. Therefore, ginger should not be consumed together with medicines such as Gan Sui, ginseng, licorice, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Aconitum, as their effects may cancel each other out or cause adverse reactions such as headaches, insomnia, palpitations, etc. At the same time, it should be avoided to consume it together with cold foods such as watermelon, as this will affect the warming and nourishing effect of ginger. There is a folk saying that goes, "Three slices of ginger in the morning are better than drinking ginseng soup. Eating ginger in the morning helps keep the body warm and gather yang energy. After noon, the body's heat energy is at its best, and eating ginger can easily cause internal heat. Evening is a time for rest and recuperation. It is not recommended to eat ginger or other loose foods to avoid affecting sleep and gastrointestinal health. Seven types of people should not eat too much ginger. People with a constitution of Yin deficiency may exhibit symptoms such as fever in their hands, feet, and heart, frequent dry eyes, nose, mouth, and irritability. Due to the pungent and warm nature of ginger, people with yin deficiency who consume ginger will exacerbate the symptoms of yin deficiency. People with severe internal heat such as lung heat, dry cough, and bad breath should not eat ginger. Bad breath is often caused by stomach heat, and consuming ginger can worsen the existing symptoms of stomach heat, even causing toothache, headache, and other symptoms. Hepatitis patients generally avoid eating ginger because it can cause excessive liver fire. Although ginger can increase local blood circulation and promote hair regeneration in individuals with hair loss, it is a heat related disease. Prolonged use of ginger can generate heat, which conflicts with the traditional Chinese medicine principle of "cooling medicine for fever". Therefore, it is recommended to use it sparingly. Coughing phlegm that is more yellow is often due to lung heat and dryness, while ginger has a warm nature and consuming ginger can worsen symptoms. Constipation is often caused by intestinal heat, and excessive consumption of ginger can worsen the symptoms. Ginger can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa in patients with peptic ulcers, which may exacerbate gastrointestinal discomfort. Patients with peptic ulcers should avoid consuming raw ginger. Wen/Zhao Hu (Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital) (News Agency)