Black Ginger
Introduction
to the Thai Black Ginger
Kaempferia
parviflora, also known
as Thai black ginger, Thai ginseng or krachai
dum, is an herbaceous plant in the family Zingiberaceae, native to
Thailand. The Thai black ginger can be found specifically in a village in
Phetchabun, Khao Kho, Khek Noi, home to one of the biggest Hmong Tribes. This
is because the environment in Khek Noi is perfect for the growing and
harvesting of Thai black ginger, being more than 500 meters about sea level,
with frequent rainy weather and temperature slightly cooler temperature in
comparison to the cities of Thailand.
The benefits of Thai Black Ginger
The
Thai black ginger has been popular amongst the Hmongs since the earlier days
since they believe it would give them energy. They would bite on some of these
before they go out to work in the fields. Today, there is an increased
scientific interest in the Thai black ginger and several researchers have been
looking into the benefits of Thai black ginger. These have confirmed several
health benefits the Thai black ginger can bring. Some of these benefits
include:
1.
Enhancement
of energy production
One
of the most popular reasons why people look for black ginger is due to its
energy production properties. A study conducted by Toda et al. (2015) explained
that this is because the Thai black ginger extract contains polymethoxy
flavonoids in myocytes and helps with improving glucose, lactic acid and lipid
metabolism. These can lead to an increase in locomotive functions, and
therefore gives an energy boost when consumed.
2.
Reduces
risk of diabetes, lipidemia and obesity
The
improvement of glucose, lactic acid and lipid metabolism mentioned earlier
would also lead to reduced risk of diseases such as diabetes, lipidemia and
obesity. An example of such can be observed in a study conducted by Yoshino et
al. (2014) where mice who were subject to a high fat diet were given doses of
black ginger extracts. The study concluded that the black ginger extract was
able to suppress high fat diet induced obesity through increased energy
metabolism.
3.
Gastric
ulcer
A study by
Rujjanawate et al. (2005) suggests that oral doses of Thai ginger extract can
significantly inhibit gastric ulcer formation.
The
health benefits of the Thai black ginger are non-exhaustive. There are several
other possible health benefits to Thai black ginger such as an increased sex
drive, possible therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (Youn et al. 2016) etc. There
are and will be several ongoing research investigating the effect of the Thai
black ginger on health properties. These clearly suggests that the Thai black
ginger is a valuable herb that should be treasured.
Identifying Good Thai Black Ginger
While we understand the benefits of Thai black ginger, it is also
important to be able to identify black ginger of good quality. Good black
ginger plants can be very distinct. We can identify them through their reddish
leave edges, and pink underside of their leaves. When you break the rhizome of
a good quality black ginger in two, you will be able to see that it is black
and pinkish in the insides.
Preparation of Thai Black Ginger
There are several ways you can prepare or consume black ginger.
These are three of the most popular ways the Thais use black ginger:
1. Boiled with water
This can be prepared with either
fresh or dried Thai black ginger. Cut the ginger in slices and boil it in
water. The black ginger drink is ready for consumption once the water is
boiled. Some may prefer to add honey into the drink for taste.
2. Powdered and mixed with
honey
Black ginger can also be consumed as
a bread spread together with honey. To prepare this, either grind dried black
ginger into powder or pound it with a mortar and pestle before mixing it in
with honey and spreading it on bread.
3. Soaked in alcohol
The Thais also like to drink black ginger
with alcohol. One of the more popular ways of doing this is soaking slices of
the ginger in a bottle of alcohol (Such as 40 degrees in Thailand) for one to
two weeks before consumption.
I hope this short article provided you with some knowledge on the
Thai black ginger, its benefits and how it can be used. If you are interested
in purchasing fresh or dry black ginger, you can purchase some grown by the
Hmongs themselves.
Please
contact Kosol Suebtayat at email: saktayat@gmail.com
or Line ID: tayatfarm and Phone: +66896951800 for interest in purchasing Thai
black ginger.
References
Rujjanawate, C., Kanjanapothi, D.,
Amornlerdpison, D., & Pojanagaroon, S. (2005). Anti-gastric ulcer effect of
Kaempferia parviflora. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 102(1),
120-122.
Toda, K., Takeda, S., Hitoe, S., Nakamura, S.,
Matsuda, H., & Shimoda, H. (2016). Enhancement of energy production by
black ginger extract containing polymethoxy flavonoids in myocytes through
improving glucose, lactic acid and lipid metabolism. Journal of natural
medicines, 70(2), 163-172.
Yoshino, S., Kim, M., Awa, R., Kuwahara, H.,
Kano, Y., & Kawada, T. (2014). Kaempferia parviflora extract increases
energy consumption through activation of BAT in mice. Food science
& nutrition, 2(6), 634-637.
Youn, K., Lee, J., Ho, C. T., & Jun, M.
(2016). Discovery of polymethoxyflavones from black ginger (Kaempferia
parviflora) as potential β-secretase (BACE1) inhibitors. Journal of
Functional Foods, 20, 567-574.
