Ginger is an herb. The rhizome (underground stem) is used as a spice and also as a medicine. It can be used fresh, dried and powdered, or as a juice or oil. Ginger is commonly used to treat various types of "stomach problems," including motion sickness, morning sickness, colic, upset stomach, gas, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting after surgery, as well as loss of appetite. Other uses include treating upper respiratory tract infections, cough, and bronchitis.

Rani MP, Padmakumari KP, Sankarikutty B, Cherian OL, Nisha VM, Raghu KG. Inhibitory potential of ginger extracts against enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes, inflammation and induced oxidative stress. 1. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2011 Mar;62(2):106-10. Epub 2010 Sep 28.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) continues to be used as an important cooking spice and herbal medicine around the world. Gingerols, the major pungent components of ginger, are known to improve diabetes, including the effect of enhancement against insulin sensitivity. In the current study, ginger sequentially extracted with different solvents-namely, hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, 70% methanol-water and water-were screened to determine the variations in phenolic-linked active constituents. The potential of these extracts to inhibit key enzymes relevant to type 2 diabetes and inflammation was studied. Phenolic compounds-namely, gingerols and shoagols-were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Ethyl acetate extract showed higher activity compared with other extracts. These studies indicate that ginger has very good potential for glucosidase and amylase inhibition relevant for type 2 diabetes management and cyclooxygenase inhibition for inflammation.