Originally from Southeast Asia, ‘true galangal’ belongs to the ginger family. Galangal also looks very similar to ginger due to its root shape. But it’s not just in appearance that the root can hold a candle to ginger.

Areas of application in folk medicine are:

• Headache
• Menstrual cramps
• Fever
• Colds
• Loss of appetite
• Nervousness
• Sleep disorders

Apart from the rhizome, the essential oil extracted from it is also used in medicine. It has an antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect.

The pungent substances soothe the irritated stomach and dispel nausea (e.g. in the case of travel sickness). The root also has a digestive, choleretic and appetizing effect.

Galangal as Thai tea

If it is prepared as Thai tea, it is not only effective but also very popular. To do this, take two heaped teaspoons of the sliced galangal root and add it to 1/4 liter of boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes and strain off the solids later. Just three cups a day should help. The tea should be sipped slowly and drunk warm.

In traditional European folk medicine, galangal (e.g. galangal tea or tincture) is primarily used to treat stomach pain, flatulence, abdominal pain, nausea and nausea, loss of appetite and biliary colic. Galangal can also soothe inflammation.

Medical assistance

Commission E, an independent scientific expert commission for herbal medicinal products of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), has classified galangal as medically relevant and describes it as antispasmodic, antibacterial and also as a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor.

Prostaglandins are tissue hormones that can trigger inflammation and pain if they get out of balance. As the pungent substances contained in galangal root have been proven to counteract this disharmony, the medicinal plant can have an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect in cases of rheumatism or arthritis, for example.