Botany
The plant of Galangal belongs to Zingiberaceae family that grows to a height of 150 cm. As the plant attains a height of 5 feet, white flowers, aromatic rhizome and green sword leaves start appearing on it. Rhizome of the plant is dark brown to reddish in colour. The red berry fruit is fleshy in nature, pea-sized and usually contains dark brown seeds.
Brief History of Galangal Oil
It is obtained from rhizomes of the plant via the steam distillation process. The oil has spicy fragrance and is light-yellow in colour. In England, this was used as a natural remedy for many health issues. This was also known as Low John.
Historical Uses
• Since ancient time and even today, Galangal Oil is widely used in the formulation of both Ayurvedic as well as Chinese medicines.
• In the 13th century, this was used in Northern Europe, Asia and England as the most preferred medicine and spice.
• The Medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen has suggested its use for treating heart problem and since then it is known as “the spice of life”. Also people started considering this as a wonderful gift that keeps diseases away.
Therapeutic benefits
• The oil stimulates digestive fluids production, promotes digestion and enhances appetite. Thus, it is widely used for treating stomach-ache, anorexia, colic pain and indigestion problem.
• It is used to treat an ulcer in the digestive tract, vomiting, nausea and chronic gastritis.
• Being anti-inflammatory in nature, Galangal Oil is used to treat inflammation in the body.
• Galangal Oil also treats cough and chronic bronchitis in an effective way.
Blends well with
Galanga essential oil goes well with Chamomile, Cinnamon, Lavender, Pine and Rosemary.
General Precautionary Measures!
• Avoid using Galangal Oil without diluting it.
• In case of pregnancy, or suffering from cancer, liver damage or epilepsy, use this oil only when prescribed by a certified medical practitioner.
• A skin patch test should be performed when using this oil on skin.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.