Jahe mungkin tumbuhan remedi yang paling lama digunakan secara terus menerus di dunia.

Bangsa Cina menggunakannya untuk tujuan pengobatan dan untuk masakan, sering dalam masakan seafood karena berperan sebagai pendetoksifikasi untuk mencegah keracunan seafood.

Selain digunakan untuk gangguan pencernaan, jahe juga ditemukan mengandung geraniol, sejenis pembasmi kanker ampuh.

Jahe juga mengandung senyawa-senyawa anti-inflammatory yang membantu meredakan sakit, mencegah penggumpalan darah, dan mencegah sakit kepala migraine.

Sejak jaman kuno, ahli pengobatan Cina minum teh jahe secara teratur untuk menjaga vitalitas.

Sumber: Tabloid Aura Edisi 19/ Tahun XIII/ Minggu ke-4/ Mei 2009

Terbuat dari: Murni sari jahe merah ditambah gula tanpa bahan kimia ataupun bahan pengawet serta diproses dengan higienis dan berasal dari jahe merah pilihan.

Manfaat Jahe merah:
Membantu:
1. Meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh
2. memperlancar peredaran darah
3. meredakan flu, pilek,batuk, dan asma
4. meredakan masuk angin
5. meningkatkan gairah hubungan suami istri
6. mengatasi pegal, linu,dan badan meriang
7. mengobati rasa mual,perut kembung dan muntah

Anjuran pemakai : seduh 2 sendok makan kedalam 200cc air panas,biasa ditambahkan susu bila suka.
Note: ditambahkan bagi yang suka kopi menambah enak rasa kopinya

Bila ada yang berminat 1 toples netto 330 gram ( bisa buat 20 cangkir minuman jahe) harga Rp. 15.000,- (lima belas ribu doank lho).
Bisa menghubungi: Peni Marianto di rumahwaroeng@yahoo.com

Thank’s

Oleh: Dr Fransiska Rungkat-Zakaria, Guru Besar pada Departemen Ilmu dan Teknologi Pangan, Institut Pertanian Bogor

Jahe yang punya nama ilmiah Zingiber officinale roscoe merupakan tanaman tropis yang dapat tumbuh dengan mudah di Indonesia.
Sebagai bahan bumbu masak, jahe umum sekali digunakan di dapur-dapur keluarga Indonesia maupun negara-negara Asia lainnya.
Selain sebagai bumbu masak, jahe juga banyak sekali digunakan sebagai bahan pembuat jamu dan obat-obatan tradisional.
Tidak hanya di Indonesia, tetapi juga di banyak negara Asia lain.

Salah satu khasiat jahe yang paling sering dibicarakan adalah kemampuannya dalam meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh untuk menangkal gejala masuk angin.
Khasiat ini terlihat dari banyaknya resep yang menggunakan jahe sebagai penghangat badan di kala cuaca buruk.

Minuman jahe merupakan suguhan penting pada acara-acara begadang di lingkungan tetangga, seperti saat menunggu jenazah di malam hari atau menyiapkan pesta perkawinan dan kegiatan lain sejenisnya.
Minuman ini dipercaya dapat menghindarkan masuk angin dan menjaga tubuh tetap bugar walaupun menghadapi stres, cuaca buruk, dan kegiatan fisik yang melelahkan.
Pada resep-resep tradisional China, jahe dipercaya dapat menguatkan tubuh pada saat penyembuhan, misalnya resep sup ayam jahe yang wajib dimakan perempuan pada saat baru melahirkan.

Masuk angin
Masuk angin secara ilmiah merupakan gejala melemahnya sistem kekebalan tubuh sehingga memungkinkan virus yang senantiasa berada pada tubuh kita mulai menang dan berada di atas angin.

Sistem imunitas kita melemah sehingga perlawanan menjadi goyah.
Bila kondisi ini terus berlanjut, kemenangan virus dalam menjajah tubuh kita akan segera diikuti oleh kemenangan bakteri lainnya sehingga tubuh kita akan bereaksi dengan menghasilkan demam tinggi yang dikenal dengan infeksi.
Infeksi ini bisa dimulai dari saluran pernapasan dan berlanjut sampai ke saluran pencernaan. Apabila tidak tertahan, dapat bersifat fatal.

Hubungan antara melemahnya sistem imun tubuh dan kepercayaan mengonsumsi minuman jahe telah menarik perhatian banyak peneliti.
Hasil penelitian ilmiah mengenai khasiat jahe telah mulai dipublikasikan semenjak 20 tahun yang lalu.
Jahe ternyata mengandung berbagai senyawa fenolik yang dapat diekstrak dengan pelarut organik dan menghasilkan minyak yang disebut oloeresin.
Dalam oloeresin jahe banyak terkandung senyawa fenolik seperti gingerol dan shogaol yang mempunyai aktivitas antioksidan yang tinggi melebihi aktivitas antioksidan vitamin E.

Penelitian yang dilakukan di Institut Pertanian Bogor dan didanai dengan dana proyek hibah Pascasarjana mengamati dampak jahe pada sel-sel imun tikus percobaan yang dilanjutkan dengan penelitian pada manusia.
Pada tikus percobaan, hewan diberi minuman jahe setara dengan dua atau tiga gelas minuman jahe dengan rasa yang dapat diterima manusia selama enam minggu.
Pada akhir percobaan, sel-sel imun dari limfa tikus dikeluarkan lalu dikultur secara in vitro dengan media pertumbuhan sintetik.
Dengan cara ini performa sel-sel imun tikus yang telah diberi minuman jahe dapat diamati.
Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan terjadi peningkatan kemampuan pertumbuhan sel imun secara sangat signifikan dari tikus yang mendapat minuman jahe.
Adapun jenis sel imun yang peningkatan pertumbuhannya paling tinggi adalah jenis sel imun yang disebut natural killer (NK).

Sel imun ini amat penting karena NK merupakan sel imun yang bertugas menghancurkan sel-sel tubuh yang terinfeksi virus sehingga virus ikut mati.
Selain itu, sel NK juga bertugas menghancurkan sel-sel tubuh yang telah mengalami mutasi genetik. Sebagaimana diketahui, satu saja sel tubuh yang mengalami mutasi dan berkesempatan untuk hidup terus dapat menjadi cikal bakal sel-sel kanker.

Penemuan khasiat jahe pada tikus dinilai perlu mendapat perhatian sehingga penelitian yang setara dilanjutkan dengan percobaan pada manusia.
Penelitian pada manusia melibatkan 22 mahasiswa pria sehat sebagai responden yang dibagi dalam dua kelompok. Kelompok pertama sebagai placebo, yaitu tidak mendapat minuman jahe, sedangkan kelompok kedua adalah kelompok yang mendapat minuman jahe.
Mereka menyetujui dan menandatangani kontrak penelitian yang meliputi kewajiban meminum minuman jahe setiap sore hari selama tiga puluh hari dan tidak mengonsumsi makanan jajanan kecuali yang disediakan.
Sebagai imbalan, mereka mendapat makanan secara gratis dan kenang-kenangan.
Resep minuman jahe yang diberikan tidak banyak berbeda dengan resep minuman jahe yang umum dibuat di dapur keluarga Indonesia, yaitu jahe diparut, dimasak dengan air sampai mendidih, disaring, lalu diberi gula pasir secukupnya.
Minuman jahe disiapkan setiap sore dan diberikan pada mahasiswa responden secara segar.
Sebelum dan sesudah penelitian, para mahasiswa diperiksa oleh dokter umum di klinik lokal di Bogor sehingga dapat dipastikan bahwa semua berada dalam keadaan sehat. Darah mahasiswa diambil secara steril di klinik, lalu sel-sel imun dalam darah dipisahkan dan dikultur untuk diamati kemampuannya.
Hasil yang diperoleh memperlihatkan sifat yang sama dari jahe, yaitu sel-sel imun dari mahasiswa yang mendapat minuman jahe setiap sore tumbuh lebih banyak dibandingkan dengan yang tidak mendapat minuman jahe.
Lebih lanjut lagi, sel NK diuji secara in vitro dengan cara diadu dengan sel-sel kanker darah atau leukemia.
Hasilnya sekali lagi menunjukkan kemampuan sel NK membunuh sel kanker yang dua kali lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan sel NK dari mereka yang tidak mendapat minuman jahe.

Seperti telah dijelaskan di atas, sel NK adalah sel imun yang tugas utamanya adalah membasmi virus yang telah berhasil masuk dalam sel tubuh dan menghancurkan sel yang telah termutasi sehingga bahan atau senyawa yang dapat meningkatkan kemampuan sel imun ini dapat diartikan meningkatkan pencegahan terhadap virus dan penyakit kanker.
Perlu diperhatikan bahwa kemampuan sel-sel imun yang terlihat pada kedua hasil penelitian ini tidak ditentukan hanya oleh minuman jahe saja.
Baik tikus percobaan maupun mahasiswa responden yang terlibat penelitian ini mendapat perlakuan yang baik, artinya tenteram, tidak stres, dan mendapat makanan yang bergizi seimbang.

Kemampuan sel-sel imun sangat tergantung pada zat-zat gizi yang dibawa oleh makanan.
Bila zat-zat gizi telah cukup, tambahan suplemen seperti minuman jahe akan lebih meningkatkan kemampuan sel-sel imun dalam usahanya melawan berbagai mikro-organisme yang masuk dalam tubuh kita, yaitu virus danbakteri.

Mikro-organisme
Dalam upaya mempertahankan diri terhadap berbagai jenis mikro-organisme, termasuk virus flu burung, syarat pertama adalah mengusahakan makanan yang seimbang, artinya membawa semua zat-zat gizi yang diperlukan, seperti protein, lemak, vitamin, mineral, dan serat yang cukup.
Seimbang berarti tidak ada yang kurang dan tidak ada yang lebih.
Selanjutnya menjaga kebersihan, istirahat yang cukup, dan menghindari stres.
Tambahan minuman jahe setiap sore telah terbukti, dari penelitian ini, dapat lebih meningkatkan sistem imun, khususnya kemampuan sel-sel NK dalam melisis sel-sel yang terinveksi virus dan sel-sel yang termutasi.
Komponen bioaktif utama dalam jahe, yaitu gingerol, merupakan senyawa yang tahan panas sehingga sajian jahe tidak selalu harus berupa minuman.
Bentuk sajian lain yang menggunakan jahe, seperti sup ayam jahe, soto bening jahe, bubur kacang jahe, juga dapat memberikan khasiat yang sama.
Yang penting adalah jumlahnya harus cukup banyak untuk mampu bekerja.

Penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa pengamatan tradisional terhadap khasiat jahe dapat dibuktikan secara ilmiah sehingga manfaatnya perlu disebarluaskan. *

Copyright @ PT. Kompas Cyber Media
Hangtuah Digital Library

Ginger

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ginger
Conservation status
Secure
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots (unranked): Commelinids Order: Zingiberales Family: Zingiberaceae Genus: Zingiber Species: Z. officinale
Binomial name
Zingiber officinale Roscoe[1]

Ginger is a spice which is used for cooking and is also consumed whole as a delicacy or medicine. It is the underground stem of the ginger plant, Zingiber officinale.

The ginger plant has a long history of cultivation, having originated in Asia and is grown in India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean.^[2] The actual name for ginger is Root Ginger. However, it is commonly referred to as ginger, as the meaning is well known.

//

Chemistry

The characteristic odor and flavor of ginger root is caused by a mixture of zingerone, shogaols and gingerols, volatile oils that compose about one to three percent of the weight of fresh ginger. In laboratory animals, the gingerols increase the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and have analgesic, sedative, antipyretic and antibacterial properties.^[3]

Ginger contains up to three percent of a fragrant essential oil whose main constituents are sesquiterpenoids, with (-)-zingiberene as the main component. Smaller amounts of other sesquiterpenoids (β-sesquiphellandrene, bisabolene and farnesene) and a small monoterpenoid fraction (β-phelladrene, cineol, and citral) have also been identified.

The pungent taste of ginger is due to nonvolatile phenylpropanoid-derived compounds, particularly gingerols and shogaols, which form from gingerols when ginger is dried or cooked. Zingerone is also produced from gingerols during this process; this compound is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma.^[4] Ginger is also a minor chemical irritant, and because of this was used as a horse suppository by pre-World War I mounted regiments for feaguing.

Ginger has a sialagogue action, stimulating the production of saliva, which makes swallowing easier.

Usage

Culinary uses

Ginger root, raw Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 20 kcal 80 kJ
Carbohydrates 17.77g - Sugars 1.7 g - Dietary fiber 2 g Fat 0.75 g Protein 1.82 g Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.025 mg 2% Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.034 mg 2% Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.75 mg 5% Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.203 mg 4% Vitamin B6 0.16 mg 12% Folate (Vit. B9) 11 μg 3% Vitamin C 5 mg 8% Calcium 16 mg 2% Iron 0.6 mg 5% Magnesium 43 mg 12% Phosphorus 34 mg 5% Potassium 415 mg 9% Zinc 0.34 mg 3%
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be stewed in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a sweetener; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Indian recipes and Chinese cuisine to flavor dishes such as seafood or mutton and vegetarian recipes. Powdered dry ginger root (ginger powder) is typically used to spice gingerbread and other recipes. Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are not exactly interchangeable.

Ginger is also made into candy, is used as a flavoring for cookies, crackers and cake, and is the main flavor in ginger ale—a sweet, carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage, as well as the similar, but spicier ginger beer which is popular in the Caribbean.

Fresh ginger should be peeled before eaten. For storage, the ginger should be wrapped tightly in a towel and placed in a plastic bag, and can be kept for about three weeks in a refrigerator and up to three months in a freezer.

Regional uses

In India, ginger is called “Adrak”, in Gujarati, “Shunti” in the Kannada language of Karnataka, Allam (అల్లం) in Telugu, Inji in Tamil (இஞ்சி) and (enchi)Malayalam, Alay in Marathi, “Aduwa” in Nepali. Fresh ginger is one of the main spices used for making pulse and lentil curries and other vegetable preparations. It is used fresh to spice tea especially in winter. Ginger powder is also used in certain food preparations particularly for expecting women and feeding mothers, the most popular one being Katlu which is a mixture of gum resin, ghee, nuts, and sugar.

In South India, ginger is used in the production of a candy called Inji-murappa (”ginger candy” from Tamil). This candy is mostly sold by vendors to bus passengers in bus stops and in small tea shops as a locally produced item. Candied or crystallized ginger (ginger cured with sugar) is also common. Additionally, in Tamil Nadu, especially in the Tanjore belt, a variety of ginger which is less spicy is used when tender to make fresh pickle with the combination of lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and tender green chili peppers. This kind of pickle was generally made before the invention of refrigeration and stored for a maximum of 4-5 days. The pickle gains a mature flavor when the juices cook the ginger over the first 24 hours. Ginger is also added as a flavoring in tea. Dried ginger (”sukku” சுக்கு) is used in tea or coffee and also in siddha medicine.

In Bangladesh, ginger is called Aadha and is finely chopped or ground into a paste to use as a base for chicken and meat dishes alongside onion and garlic.

In Burma, ginger is called “gyin”. It is widely used in cooking and as a main ingredient in traditional medicines. It is also consumed as a salad dish called gyin-thot, which consists of shredded ginger preserved in oil, and a variety of nuts and seeds.

In Indonesia a beverage called Wedang Jahe is made from ginger and palm sugar. Indonesians also use ground ginger root, called jahe or djahe, as a frequent ingredient in local recipes.

In Southeast Asia, the flower of the Torch Ginger (Etlingera eliator) is used in cooking. The unopened flower is known in the Malay language as Bunga Kantan, and is used in salads and also as garnish for sour-savory soups, like Assam Laksa.

In China, sliced or whole ginger root is often paired with savory dishes such as fish. However, candied ginger is sometimes a component of Chinese candy boxes, and a herbal tea can also be prepared from ginger.

In Japan, ginger is pickled to make beni shoga and gari or grated and used raw on tofu or noodles. It is also made into a candy called shoga no satozuke.

In the traditional Korean kimchi, ginger is finely minced and added to the ingredients of the spicy paste just before the fermenting process.

In Western cuisine, ginger is traditionally used mainly in sweet foods such as ginger ale, gingerbread, ginger snaps, ginger cake and ginger biscuits. A ginger-flavored liqueur called Canton is produced in Jarnac, France. Green ginger wine is a ginger flavored wine produced in the United Kingdom, traditionally sold in a green glass bottle. Ginger is also used as a spice added to hot coffee and tea.

In the Caribbean, ginger is a popular spice for cooking, and making drinks such as sorrel, a seasonal drink made during the Christmas season. Jamaicans make ginger beer both as a carbonated beverage and also fresh in their homes. Ginger tea is often made from fresh ginger as well.

In the island of Corfu, Greece, they produce a traditional drink called τσιτσιμπύρα (tsitsimpira), a type of ginger beer. The people of Corfu and the rest of the Ionian islands picked up the drink from the british, during the british occupation of the islands.

In Arabic, ginger is called zanjabil and in some parts of the Middle East ginger powder is used as a spice for coffee.

In the Ivory Coast, ginger is ground and mixed with orange, pineapple and lemon to produce a juice called Nyamanku.

Medicinal uses

The medical form of ginger historically was called “Jamaica ginger”; it was classified as a stimulant and carminative, and used frequently for dyspepsia and colic. It was also frequently employed to disguise the taste of medicines. Ginger is on the FDA’s ‘generally recognized as safe‘ list, though it does interact with some medications, including warfarin. Ginger is contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones as the herb promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder. Ginger may also decrease joint pain from arthritis, though studies on this have been inconsistent, and may have blood thinning and cholesterol lowering properties that may make it useful for treating heart disease.

Diarrhea

Ginger compounds are active against a form of diarrhea which is the leading cause of infant death in developing countries. Zingerone is likely to be the active constituent against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin-induced diarrhea.

Nausea

Ginger has been found effective in multiple studies for treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy though ginger was not found superior over a placebo for post-operative nausea.

Folk medicinal uses

A variety of uses are suggested for ginger. Tea brewed from ginger is a folk remedy for colds. Three to four leaves of Tulsi taken along with a piece of ginger on an empty stomach is an effective cure for congestion, cough and cold.^{[citation needed]} Ginger ale and ginger beer have been recommended as “stomach settlers” for generations in countries where the beverages are made, and ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps in the US. Ginger has also been historically used to treat inflammation, which several scientific studies support, though one arthritis trial showed ginger to be no better than a placebo or ibuprofen for treatment of osteoarthritis.

Research on rats suggests that ginger may be useful for treating diabetes.

Local uses

In the West, powdered dried ginger root is made into capsules and sold in pharmacies for medicinal use.

• In Burma, ginger and a local sweetener made from palm tree juice (Htan nyat) are boiled together and taken to prevent the flu.
• In China, ginger is included in several traditional preparations. A drink made with sliced ginger cooked in sweetened water or a cola is used as a folk medicine for the common cold.
• In the Congo, ginger is crushed and mixed with mango tree sap to make tangawisi juice, which is considered a panacea.
• In India, ginger is applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache and consumed when suffering from the common cold, people use ginger for making tea, in food etc.
• In Indonesia, a type of ginger known as Jahe is used as a herbal preparation to reduce fatigue, reducing “winds” in the blood, prevent and cure rheumatism and controlling poor dietary habits.
• In the Philippines a traditional health drink called “salabat” is made for breakfast by boiling chopped ginger and adding sugar; it is considered good for a sore throat.
• In the United States, ginger is used to prevent motion and morning sickness. It is recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration and is sold as an unregulated dietary supplement.

Reactions

Allergic reactions to ginger generally result in a rash, and although it’s generally recognized as safe, ginger can cause heartburn, bloating, gas, belching and nausea, particularly if taken in powdered form. Unchewed fresh ginger may result in intestinal blockage, and individuals who have had ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease or blocked intestines may react badly to large quantities of fresh ginger Ginger can also adversely affect individuals with gallstone There are also suggestions that ginger may affect blood pressure, clotting, and heart rhythms.

Horticulture

Ginger produces clusters of white and pink flower buds that bloom into yellow flowers. Because of its aesthetic appeal and the adaptivity of the plant to warm climates, ginger is often used as landscaping around subtropical homes. It is a perennial reed-like plant with annual leafy stems, three to four feet high.

Traditionally, the root is gathered when the stalk withers; it is immediately scalded, or washed and scraped, in order to kill it and prevent sprouting. Scalding, applied generally to the older and poorer roots, produces Black Ginger; washing and scraping gives White Ginger. The natural color of the “white” scraped ginger is a pale buff; it is often whitened by bleaching or liming, but this generally reduces its value.

Production trends

India, with over 30% of the global share, now leads in global production of ginger, replacing China, which has slipped to the second position (~20.5%), followed by Indonesia(~12.7%), Nepal(~11.5%) and Nigeria(~10%).

Top Ten Ginger Producers — 11 June 2008
Country	Production (Tonnes)	Footnote
India	420,000	F
People’s Republic of China	285,000	F
Indonesia	177,000	F
Nepal	158,905
Nigeria	138,000	F
Bangladesh	57,000	F
Japan	42,000	F
Thailand	34,000	F
Philippines	28,000	F
Sri Lanka	8,270
World	1387445	A
No symbol = official figure, F = FAO estimate, A = Aggregate(may include official, semi-official or estimates); Source: Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Devision

Similar species

Myoga (Zingiber mioga Roscoe) appears in Japanese cuisine; the flower buds are the part eaten.

Another plant in the Zingiberaceae family, galangal, is used for similar purposes as ginger in Thai cuisine. Galangal is also called Thai ginger. Also referred to as galangal, fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda), or Chinese ginger or the Thai krachai, is used in cooking and medicine.

A dicotyledonous native species of eastern North America, Asarum canadense, is also known as “wild ginger“, and its root has similar aromatic properties, but it is not related to true ginger. The plant also contains aristolochic acid, a carcinogenic compound.