高良姜是东南亚原产的香料。它在中国和亚洲传统医学中具有巨大的治疗重要性（1）。

高良姜给任何泰国或亚洲菜肴都带来新鲜的感觉。其中的植物化学物质使高良姜成为强大的抗氧化剂，止痛剂和抗炎剂。

这种香料用于治疗某些疾病，据信可以增强男性的生育能力，治疗感染并帮助对抗各种类型的癌症。

在本文中，我们将深入讨论高良姜及其对您的好处。

什么是高良姜？

高良姜（Alpinia officinarum和Alpinia galangal）是姜科的成员。这种多年生草本植物原产于中国东南部和印度尼西亚，生长在印度的西孟加拉邦，阿萨姆邦和喜马拉雅山东部（1）。

阿育吠陀和传统的中欧医学已经使用了高良姜的不同部位来治疗感冒，胃痛，炎症，糖尿病，溃疡，恶心，腹泻，湿疹以及各种急慢性疾病（1）。

高良姜的种子被用作口腔清新剂，牙齿清洁剂，消化助剂和泻药。花和嫩芽用作香料或蔬菜。根或根茎用作香料和精油来源（如生姜）。

高良姜在外观，味道和感觉上都像姜，在中文中也被称为“轻姜”。像姜一样，高良姜含有类黄酮，多酚，萜烯和精油（2）。

是否想知道高良姜的这些生物活性成分如何在您的身体系统上协同工作？阅读下一部分以找到答案。

高良姜的健康益处是什么？

1.可能具有抗糖尿病作用

根据2015年的动物研究，高良姜的甲醇提取物具有抗糖尿病的潜力。高良姜的空中部分可能刺激胰腺分泌胰岛素的β细胞再生。给糖尿病大鼠服用高良姜提取物可降低胆固醇和甘油三酸酯水平，改善脂质代谢并预防糖尿病并发症（3）。

发现高良姜提取物抑制碳水化合物的代谢，使餐后血糖峰值降至最低。血糖控制活性与合成抗糖尿病药相当（4）。

由于其抗氧化活性，这种草药可以保护您的肝脏和胰腺免受氧化应激和损害。高良姜中的多酚，生物碱，三萜，类固醇和碳水化合物被认为是造成这种活性的原因（3）。

但是，在这一领域需要进行更多的研究以了解这些对人类的好处。

2.可能具有抗增殖作用

高良姜的水提取物可以抑制人胃肿瘤细胞系的增殖。高良姜根茎（根）含有两种对癌细胞有毒作用的细胞毒性化合物，即乙酰氧基乙酰丙酮乙酸酯和对香豆醇-O-甲基醚（5）。

高良姜提取物对黑色素瘤（皮肤）细胞具有抗癌作用，可预防皮肤癌（5）。

该中草药中的细胞毒性化合物可在肝细胞中诱导谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶（GST）活性。GST消除了诱变化合物和自由基，从而防止了癌变（6）。

但是，需要更多的研究来了解这种药用根的分子机制和抗癌作用。

3.可能有助于治疗关节炎和其他炎性疾病

高良姜根茎中含有类黄酮，单宁，皂角苷，糖苷和几种酚类化合物。这些植物化学物质在动物研究中显示出有效的抗炎和镇痛作用（7）。

高良姜精蛋白下调产生促炎性化合物（如细胞因子和白介素）的基因的表达（8）。

由于高良姜提取物可以抑制COX-1和2以及脂氧合酶途径，因此可以用于治疗关节炎，水肿，炎症性肠病和其他炎症性疾病（9）（10）。

4.可能具有抗菌特性

研究人员声称，来自干燥和新鲜高良姜根茎的精油可以消除细菌，酵母，真菌和寄生虫。Terpinen-4-ol是从新鲜的高良姜根茎中提取的精油中的单萜类之一，它对 毛癣菌 （ Trichophyton mentagrophytes ）具有抗菌活性（11）。

从干燥的根茎提取物中分离出的一种化合物乙酸乙酰氧基沙韦醇（ACA）对某些皮肤癣菌（皮肤感染）具有活性。在姜黄和姜中，高良姜对 金黄色葡萄球菌的 抑制作用最强（11）。

高良姜也是广谱杀菌剂。它可以抑制真菌和酵母菌，如 黑曲霉 ， 长毛癣菌 ， 炭疽菌 ， 尖孢镰刀菌 ， 薄荷 毛癣菌 ， 红毛 癣菌 和 茎根霉 （12）。

可能提高精子数量和运动能力

与其他壮阳药或生育补品不同，高良姜是安全无毒的。大鼠研究表明，用高良姜根茎治疗56天可改善精子发生和相关参数（13）。

治疗后，精子数量和活动度增加。附睾马尾精子（成熟精子的储存位）的精子密度和运动能力的增加会影响受精（13）。

高良姜通过涉及精子发生的相关基因的表达影响蛋白质的生产。因此，它可以用于促进男性生育的药物中（13）。临床数据可以阐明这种草药提取物在未来的安全性。

在前面的部分中，我们简要讨论了强大的植物化学特征如何使高良姜具有独特的健康益处。

让我们详细看看那些植物化学物质。

高良姜的生化成分

高良姜的大多数亚种都含有大量的类黄酮。高良姜精，Alpinin，山fer酚，Kaempferide，pin烯，松油醇，Chavicol，肉桂酸甲酯，羟基肉桂醛，异鼠李素，樟脑，月桂烯，对-肉桂烯，冰片，松油醇，4-萜品醇，醋酸芬基酯，醋酸烯丙基酯，hu草烯和泽骨是很少的确定的（14）。

The leaf oil contains myrcene, ocimene, pinene, borneol, caryophyIIene, and bisabolene. The essential oil from galangal flower has a-pinene, sabinene, limonene, phellandrene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, terpinen-4-ol, a-terpineol, methyleugenol, patchoulene, caratol, a-farnesene, nerolidol, bisabolol and benzyl benzoate (14).

The galangal fruits contain acetyleugenol acetate and 1′-acetoxychavicol acetate. The seed contains caryophyllene oxide, caryophyllenol, pentadecane, 7-heptadecane, and fatty acid methyl esters (13).

It is because of these terpinols and esters in the essential oils that galangal is used as a perfume or freshener in India and the Middle Eastern countries.

As a bonus, each serving of galangal contains 45 calories and 2 g of dietary fiber. It is also a natural source of sodium, iron, and vitamins A and C (almost like ginger).

That, indeed, is a powerful biochemical profile. No wonder the Chinese obsessed over galangal and made many recipes with it!

Yes, that’s right. Several cuisines incorporate galangal in their delicacies. Here’s a quick and simple recipe for you.

How To Cook With Galangal Root

It doesn’t take a lot of preparation to cook with galangal root.

The Jungle Thai Curry – With Galangal And Mushroom

What You Need

• Coconut milk: 2 cps
• Galangal: 1, ½-inch piece, peeled and sliced
• Kaffir lime leaves: 3, chopped or torn
• Salt: 2 teaspoons
• Fresh mushrooms: ⅓ pound, sliced
• Thai chili peppers: 5, chopped
• Fresh lime juice: ¼ cup
• Fish sauce: 1 tablespoon
• Boiling pot: medium-large

Let’s Make It!

1. Add coconut milk and galangal in the boiling pot. Bring it to a boil.
2. Add the kaffir lime leaves and salt.
3. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms to the mixture and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Add the lime juice and fish sauce to the mixture. Stir well.
6. Transfer the contents to a serving bowl.
7. Garnish with the Thai chilies.
8. Serve hot with some fresh and fragrant jasmine rice and tapioca crisps.

Gin hâi a-ròi! (Bon appetit!)

South-east Asian and Asian cooking offers everything on a platter that soothes your body during every meal.

Alternatively, you can buy galangal supplements in the form of oil (Buy here!) or capsules (Buy here!).

Precautions And Side Effects Of Galangal

Galangal has been used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. This root is typically safe when it is consumed in the amounts likely found in foods (1).

Animal studies found that doses of 2,000 mg per kg of body weight resulted in serious side effects, including coma, diarrhea, excessive urination, lack of appetite, a drop in energy levels, and death (15). These side effects were absent at considerably smaller dosages of 300 mg per kg of body weight.

In A Nutshell…

Galangal is a refreshing and worthy addition to your spice rack. Almost every part of the plant can be used for cooking or healing.

Its juice and essential oil, like that of ginger, may help in managing digestive issues, cold, cough, diabetes, and hypertension. Galangal root can add flavor and anti-inflammatory compounds to your dishes and provide many health benefits. It helps in boosting male fertility and may potentially help with the treatment of certain forms of cancer. You can try substituting ginger with galangal in your herbal tea. Make sure to consult a doctor before including this spice in your food preparations.

Expert’s Answers For Readers’ Questions

How do you store galangal?

A: Wrap the galangal root in a damp, clean cloth. Then, wrap it in a plastic bag. You can store galangal this way in the fridge for a long time. The root retains the moisture from the cloth and stays fresh too.

If it is for extended storage, you might have to change the damp cloth to prevent fungal infestation.

Can you eat galangal raw?

When purchasing this root, check for the younger variants. If the root has a shiny, translucent peel with a peachy beige shade, it can be eaten raw.

Is turmeric and galangal the same thing?

No, both are different. Galangal is more pine-like and citrusy in flavor whereas turmeric has an earthy flavor with bright orange flesh.

Can you freeze galangal?

Yes, the root can freeze up to three months without peeling. It can be frozen without losing any flavor. Cut the unpeeled root into slices a quarter-inch thick, wrap in plastic, and freeze it.

Do you need to peel galangal?

No. Unlike ginger, galangal does not need to be peeled. Thoroughly rinse the root under cold water, rubbing away any dirt, and pat dry.

What does galangal taste like?

高良姜具有强烈的柑橘味和松树味，在东南亚国家/地区用作食品调味剂。

高良姜是香料吗？

是的，高良姜是一种姜状的香料，在东南亚广泛使用。

15个来源

Stylecraze有严格的采购准则，并依赖经过同行评审的研究，学术研究机构和医学协会。我们避免使用三级引用。您可以阅读我们的编辑政策，进一步了解我们如何确保内容的准确性和最新性。

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