Shell ginger - a beauty herb that grows wild in Okinawa

April 23, 2019

COLUMN

The original Okinawan landscape of sugarcane fields.
In the landscape filled with subtropical plants that are different from those on the mainland, your eye will be drawn to the strong, sturdy green leaves that grow towards the sky.

This plant is called Getto, which is written with the characters for "moon" and "peach," and is one of Okinawa's representative wild herbs.
Shell ginger is a perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae family, the Alpinia genus. As its name suggests, it is a relative of ginger.

The nutrients contained in shell ginger that are noteworthy are minerals and polyphenols.
In addition to nutrients and minerals essential for building the body, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, it contains more than 30 times the amount of polyphenols, a type of nutrient classified as phytochemicals , as found in red wine.

Quercitinin, which is said to thin the blood and prevent arteriosclerosis and cerebral infarction, and tannins and linoleic acid, which are expected to have a diet effect by promoting the excretion of fat from the blood and breaking down and burning fat, are all polyphenols.
Shell ginger, which is rich in these nutrients, has been attracting attention in recent years for its beauty ingredients and is widely used in cosmetics and aroma oils.

Another characteristic of shell ginger is its unique, refreshing and slightly sweet fragrance.
The essential oil extracted from the leaves is often used as aroma oil, and due to its relaxing effect it is said to be used to improve concentration and memory, as well as for sleep treatment and hormone balance regulation.

On the other hand, insects dislike this scent.
It has insect-repellent, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties, and has been used locally as a natural deodorizer and insect repellent.
Furthermore, if you brew it and drink it, it has strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and is also expected to be effective in preventing acne, heat rash, and rashes, and as an anti-allergy.

Also, during the winter solstice, shell ginger leaves are used to wrap "mochi kasah (demon rice cakes)," which are eaten in hopes of health and longevity.
Okinawa's shell ginger may be closest to the image of bear bamboo in Honshu.

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And this is the shell ginger forest that is used in GRØN's protein blend Green Monster .

Producer Arakaki carefully determines the best time to harvest shell ginger leaves that grow wild in Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture.

He said that his job is to keep the plants alive even after they have grown to a certain extent and the leaves have been harvested.

Continuing again,
"After the typhoon passes, they all lie down and sleep, but after a while they get up and face the sky again," said Arakaki, gazing at the shell ginger plants with a gentle smile.

Even after weathering a typhoon, the shell ginger leaves continue to grow upwards with a dignified appearance.
I felt a strong sense of life in the sight of the plant, having once fallen, peeking out from the scar on its stem.

I would like to carefully use the shell ginger leaves, which have survived strong and healthy.
thank you.

<GRØN products that use the material>

Protein Blend Green Monster 20g / 320 yen (excluding tax)