Galangal Root is a
spice indigenous to South Asia, and is closely related to ginger and
turmeric. The word galangal refers to the origin of several plants of
the Zingiberaceae family, the smaller galangal being the most commonly
used.
The name galangal is derived from the Chinese word for
ginger, botanically known as Alpinia galanga. This tuber has many
medicinal and health benefits and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine
for centuries. It is also used today by many healthcare professionals
and alternative medicine.
_What is galangal?
Many
wonder whether galangal is ginger, and the answer is that galangal is
characterized as a herb like ginger and turmeric, being from the same
family as ginger, it looks similar to it, but it tastes different.
Galangal has a sharp peppery and almost citrus flavor, while ginger has a
hot, pungent taste and is less sweet.
Also, the skin of
galangal is softer and paler than ginger and the flesh is much tougher
and tougher, and it is not as easy to grate as ginger, but it should be
crushed or chopped well before use. Therefore, it is usually used in the
form of galangal love or crushed galangal.
Galangal
belongs to the rhizome family, and is also known as Siamese ginger.
Galangal is commonly used in cooking in Southeast Asian cuisine,
especially Thai cuisine in the form of soup or other distinctive dishes.
It is used in many Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Thai dishes,
Like ginger and turmeric, galangal can be eaten fresh or cooked.
_The benefits of the galangal herb
The galangal herb has similar properties to turmeric, which leads us to be full of health benefits.
The most important benefits of the galangal herb are as follows:
Prevent cancer
It
was found that the galangal herb has a great role in fighting and
reducing the risk of cancer, due to the fact that it contains an
antioxidant called Galangin.
As for the types of cancer that the galangal herb works to fight, they include the following:
stomach cancer.
blood cancer.
skin cancer.
Pancreas cancer.
Colon Cancer.
breast cancer.
Liver Cancer.
Improved sperm quality and number
It
was found that one of the benefits of galangal is its ability to
contribute to increasing the number and quality of sperm as well, as it
was noted that the number of sperm increased in men who took galangal
three times than others.
Reduces the risk of infections
The galangal herb has anti-inflammatory properties, and to clarify this relationship, you need to know the following details:
There
is a specific protein in the human body called (Tumour Necrosis Factor
alpha (TNF-Alpha)) that regulates the reaction of the immune system, but
stimulating it more than normal, would raise the risk of various
infections.
Contributes to reducing the proliferation of bacteria and fungi
This
means that the galangal herb has a role in fighting bacterial and fungal
diseases, as it reduces the proliferation of many types of bacterial
diseases, including those that cause gastritis, food poisoning and many
others.
Possesses antioxidant properties
The galangal herb contains potent antioxidants, which means that it has many important health benefits.
One
of the most important benefits of antioxidants is that they fight the
accumulation of harmful free radicals in the body, the accumulation of
which causes many chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Promotes brain health
One
of the benefits of the galangal herb is that it helps promote the
health of the brain as a whole, and this includes protecting it from
many different diseases, such as: Alzheimer’s.
In addition, this herb has been found to have a great effect in fighting depression as well.
Improved stomach and digestive system function
The
galangal plant has been used since ancient times in order to treat
diseases that affect the stomach and the digestive system as a whole,
the most important of which is stomach irritation.
The galangal
herb helps calm the stomach, treat diarrhea, reduce nausea and vomiting,
and may contribute to the treatment of hiccups.
Other benefits of galangal herb
There
are many other benefits of the galangal herb resulting from the herb's
containing a compound called polyphenols, which is based on contributing
to the following:
Memory improvement.
Lowering blood sugar levels.
Reducing harmful cholesterol levels in the blood.
_Nutritional elements of galangal
After
learning about the benefits of the galangal herb, it is important to
learn about the nutrients in this herb to make it clear how beneficial
it is for the body.
The roots of the galangal herb contain good
proportions of carbohydrates and proteins, and a small amount of fat is
estimated at 1%. The galangal herb also contains the following:
Dietary fiber.
Vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E, and vitamin C.
Healthy minerals, such as: potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorous, and iron.
_Damages of the galangal herb
The
benefits of the galangal herb are achieved if moderate amounts of the
herb are consumed, but if the consumption increases, this will lead to
the following damages:
Excessive urination.
Diarrhea.
Low energy levels.
lack of appetite
coma.
Other side effects of galangal and precautions for use
Side
effects and dangers resulting from the use of galangal are relatively
rare, and in some cases, excessive intake of galangal root may cause the
following:
The risk of miscarriage or harm to the fetus, if a
pregnant woman takes galangal, so like most herbs, the use of galangal
should be avoided during pregnancy.
Dizziness, intestinal pain and vomiting, especially with fresh roots of galangal.
Stomach upset or increased stomach acid, so it is best to avoid
eating galangal or exaggerating it in cases of GERD or peptic ulcers.
The appearance of allergic reactions on the skin, so caution should be taken when patients allergic to galangal root use.
General weakness, and low energy, in the event of exposure to a type
of poisoning when consuming a large amount of galangal root.
Other poisoning symptoms caused by excessive consumption of galangal,
such as fainting, frequent urination, fatigue, hair loss, loss of
appetite, and some migraine and kidney attacks.
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