冬吃蘿蔔夏吃薑：姜的9大保健功效
What Exactly Is Ginger... And What Are Its Benefits?
姜到底是什麼……它有什麼益處？
Ginger is a rhizome in the Zingiberaceae family, and it's related to turmeric, cardamom, and galangal.
姜是姜科中的一種根莖，它與薑黃、小豆蔻、高良薑有親緣關係。
A rhizome is found underground — but it's actually a stem, not a root!
這種根莖長於地下——但它實際上是一種莖，不是根！
Ginger has been used for centuries to relieve aches, pains, and ailments of all kinds. It can be used as a spice in all kinds of cooking, as well as brewed to make tea.
幾個世紀以來，姜就被用於緩解疼痛以及各種疾病。也可將其添加在各種飯菜中作爲香料，而且姜還可以用於泡茶。
Benefit #1: Eases Nausea
功效一：緩解噁心
Ginger has long been used as a treatment for nausea of all kinds, including sea sickness and the nausea that comes after surgeries and other medical treatments.
長期以來，姜一直被用於緩解各種噁心，包括暈船以及外科手術和其他醫學治療後隨之而來的噁心。
Benefit #2: Aids Digestion
功效二：助消化
Ginger has been shown to speed the stomach's emptying process and make digestion go more smoothly.
研究表明，姜可以加速胃部排空，並使消化更順暢。
Benefit #3: Soothes Achy Muscle
功效三：舒緩肌肉痠痛
Ginger has been shown to be effective in soothing sore muscles, especially from exercise-induced pain.
研究表明，姜可以有效地舒緩肌肉痠痛，尤其是運動引起的痠痛。
Benefit #4: Soothes Osteoarthritis
功效四：緩解骨關節炎
Ginger can also reduce inflammation in joints, such as the inflammation that occurs with osteoarthritis.
姜也可以減輕關節炎，如伴隨骨關節炎出現的炎症。
Benefit #5: Lowers Blood Sugar + Boosts Heart Health
功效五：降血糖+有益於心臟健康
A study showed that powdered ginger, taken daily, reduced the blood sugar levels in people with Type II diabetes by 10 percent.
一項研究表明患有II型糖尿病的患者每天服用姜粉，其血糖濃度降低了10%。
It also showed a 23 percent decrease in oxidized lipoproteins, a major factor in heart disease.
研究也表明每天服用姜粉，氧化脂蛋白降低了23%，而氧化脂蛋白是引發心臟病的主要因素。
However, this is a relatively new discovery, and more studies must be performed before we really know.
然而，這是一個相對較新的發現，在我們真正瞭解之前必須進行更多研究。
Benefit #6: Lowers Cholesterol Levels
功效六：降低膽固醇水平
LDL lipoproteins, the "bad" cholesterol, are a risk factor for heart disease, and greatly influenced by what you eat.
低密度脂蛋白，一種“有害的”膽固醇，是引發心臟病的危險因子，並且受飲食的影響巨大。
But taking 3 grams of ginger powder daily can greatly reduce LDL lipoproteins, says one study.
但是一項研究表明，每天服用3克姜粉可以極大地減少低密度脂蛋白。
Benefit #7: Eases Menstrual Pain
功效七：緩解痛經
When taken at the beginning of the cycle, ginger was shown to reduce the cramping pain many women experience while menstruating.
研究表明，在月經週期之初服用姜可以緩解許多婦女經期時的絞痛。
Benefit #8: Aids Brain Function
功效八：有助於增強腦功能
A study involving middle-aged women showed that taking ginger had a direct effect on the brain and improved their reaction time and memory.
一項針對中年婦女的研究表明服用姜可以直接影響大腦並提高了她們的反應能力和記憶力。
Benefit #9: Could Help Fight Cancer
功效九：可以幫助與癌症抗爭
Some studies suggest that a compound found in raw ginger, 6-gingerol, can greatly reduce the potentially cancer-causing activity in cells.
研究表明，在生薑中發現的一種化合物，6-薑辣素，可以極大地減少潛在致癌活性細胞。
However, other studies have shown that it has no substantive effect at all.
然而，其他的研究表明姜完全沒有實質性效果。
Though the information we have on the relationship between ginger and cancer is limited, it's definitely something worth looking into!
儘管有關姜和癌症之間的關聯性，我們擁有的信息有限，但這一定是值得研究的課題。
