well i never heard of taking that for weight gain..
but this was what i looked up.. not that it is any help...
Name: Ginger
Biological Name: Zingiber officinale
Other Names: Ginger, Ardrakam, Shunthi, Adrak, Sunth, black ginger, race ginger, African ginger, sheng jiang
Parts Used: rhizome
ActiveCompounds: The dried rhizome of ginger contains approximately 1-4% volatile oils. These are the medically active constituents of ginger; they are also responsible for ginger's characteristic odor and taste. The aromatic principles include zingiberene and bisabolene, while the pungent principles are known as gingerols and shogaols. The pungent constituents are credited with the antinausea and antivomiting effects of ginger.
History: Traditional Chinese medicine has recommended ginger for over 2,500 years. It is used for abdominal bloating, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and rheumatism. Ginger is commonly used in the Ayurvedic and Tibb systems of medicine for the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases, such as arthritis.
Remedies For: Diaphoretic, expectorant, antiemetic
Used for the common cold when there is thin white mucus and chills. Fresh ginger is also one of the best remedies for nausea associated with motion sickness and seafood poisoning.
Ginger is used for:
Atherosclerosis
Chemotherapy support
Migraine headaches
Morning sickness
Motion sickness
Nausea and vomiting following surgery
Rheumatoid arthritis
Digestive System Actions:
Ginger is a classic tonic for the digestive tract. Classified as an aromatic bitter, it stimulates digestion. It also keeps the intestinal muscles toned. This action eases the transport of substances through the digestive tract, lessening irritation to the intestinal walls. Ginger may protect the stomach from the damaging effect of alcohol and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) and may help prevent ulcers.
Antinausea/Antivomiting Actions:
Research is inconclusive as to how ginger acts to alleviate nausea. Ginger may act directly on the gastrointestinal system or it may affect the part of the central nervous system that causes nausea. It may be that ginger exerts a dual effect in reducing nausea and vomiting.
Circulatory Effects:
Ginger also supports a healthy cardiovascular system. Like garlic, ginger makes blood platelets less sticky and less likely to aggregate, although not all human research has confirmed this. This action reduces a major risk factor for atherosclerosis.
Ginger is an important herb used in Ayurveda. Ayurveda recognizes the following medicinal properties for ginger:
Analgesic, anti-emetic, aromatic, aphrodisiac, carminative, diaphorelic, digestive, expectorant, nervine, sialagogue, stimulant.
Ayurveda practitioners consider ginger to be a truly a wonder drug, having so many healing properties. It was called the universal medicine. Taken with rock salt it reduces Vayu; with rock candy it reduces Pitta; with honey it reduces Kapha.
Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha in "Ayurvedic Encyclopedia" suggests the following medicinal uses of ginger:
"Fresh Ginger: Mixed juice with water and cane sugar, boiled to a syrup-add saffron and powders of cardamom, nutmeg, and clove and preserve well. This ginger-jam is useful for treating indigestion, flatulence, colic, vomiting, spasms, stomach and bowel pains with fever, colds, cough, and asthma.
For indigestion, mix equal parts juice with lemon juice and rock salt, and take just before meals. Taking the juice with rock salt, before meals, cleanses the throat and tongue, and increases the appetite. For bile and delirium due to biliousness, take ginger juice with cow's milk (2:7 ratio), boil to half volume and add rock-candy powder, and take before bed. Or mix juice with mango juice, cane sugar, and cow ghee; mix and melt to half the quantity and take mornings and evenings.
For sore throats, hoarseness, and laryngitis, sometimes chewing a piece of fresh ginger produces saliva and soothes these conditions. Juice rubbed on navel relieves diarrhea. Ginger and onion juice relieve nausea, and vomiting. Juice with rock candy (twice daily) remedies diabetes.
For nervous headache, mix ginger juice with milk, let dry, and use as snuff.
Dry Ginger: With black and long peppers (trikatu) it is a carminative. Added to purgatives, it prevents nausea and the gripe.
For indigestion and low appetite: Mix with ghee or hot water.
For painful bowels or stomach: Make an infusion of dry ginger, and mix with 1-2 tbs. castor oil. Alternatively, mix some asafoetida with ginger powder.
For chronic rheumatic pain (Vayu or Kapha), colds, excess mucus, take ginger powder tea before bed, and cover up with blankets to promote sweating.
In cases of headaches, make a paste of ginger and aloe gel or water, and apply to the head and take a nap or before evening sleep. The same paste may be applied to the face for tooth or face aches. For headaches caused by nerves, mix a paste of ginger, cinnamon, castor root, and cloves (equal parts); and apply to the head.
For fainting, apply a thin paste of ginger and water to the eyelids, or place a mix of ginger, black pepper and pippali under the nostrils in small pinches. This will also help stupor, delirium and senselessness caused by brain fever.
Other uses of Ginger: Arthritis, belching, heart disease, laryngitis (use as a tea and an external paste on throat), vomiting, constipation, strengthens memory, removes obstructions in the vessels, incontinence, flatulence, colic, spasms, fever, eye diseases, and asthma. Juice is better for colds, cough, vomiting, deranged vayu, and as a diaphoretic."
Description: Ginger is a perennial plant that grows in India, China, Mexico, and several other countries. The rhizome (the underground stem) is used.
Dosage: Most people take 2-4 grams of the dried rhizome powder two to three times per day or a tincture of 1.5-3 ml three times daily.
For treatment of nausea, people try single doses of approximately 250 mg every two to three hours, for a total of 1 gram per day.
For prevention of motion sickness, many people start taking ginger tablets, capsules, or liquid herbal extract two days before the planned trip.
Perhaps the most versatile of all herbs, fresh ginger can be topically applied as a warm fomentation to relieve spasms pain and cramps. Simply cut several slices of the fresh root and place them in a pan of boiling water. Saturate a flannel cloth with the tea and apply it topically as warm as the body will bear. This is an ideal treatment for stiff neck and shoulders. The herb is cooked with meat to aid its assimilation and detoxify it. Fresh ginger tea is the most ideal herb to use for the first signs of mucus, cold, cough, and so on. To make it taste better, add honey. Drinking ginger tea with meals will greatly aid digestion and assimilation and is useful for those with weak, cold digestion.
Safety: Ginger should not be used by those with heat signs in the lungs or stomach.
Side effects of ginger are rare when used as recommended. However, some people may be sensitive to the taste or may experience heartburn. Persons with a history of gallstones should consult a nutritionally oriented doctor before using ginger. Short-term use of ginger for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy appears to pose no safety problems; however, long-term use during pregnancy is not recommended. A doctor should be informed if ginger is used before surgery to counteract possible post anesthesia nausea