It’s been in the news for years. Ginger has been hailed a panacea for whatever ails you, from nausea, muscle soreness, inflammation and arthritis to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and even the common cold.
But a new finding from Virginia State University has proven the polyphenols and antioxidants—the good stuff—contained in ginger are significantly higher in young, or “baby” ginger. In fact, VSU research confirms immature ginger contains about twice as many polyphenols and has two to three times more antioxidation activity than the mature ginger found in most grocery stores. That means if you’re eating ginger for its health benefits, you may be selling yourself short at the supermarket.
VSU is hosting a Ginger and Turmeric Field Day from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at the L. Douglas Wilder Building Auditorium on Carter G. Woodson Avenue. Registration is $20 and is required. Box lunches will be provided.
The program will cover the health benefits of ginger and turmeric; diseases of both plants; Richmond’s Hardywood Brewery Gingerbread Stout runaway success story (featuring locally-grown baby ginger); and a field visit where participants will see four new varieties of container and outdoor grown ginger, as well as learn about the harvesting, washing and packing of the crops for market.
For more information, visit the calendar of events at ext.vsu.edu and click on the event or call the Small Fruits & Vegetables Program at (804) 524-5493.
