Disambiguation is a tuber that is consumed whole as a delicay, medicine or herb. Ginger cultivation began in South Asia, and has since spread to east Africa and Caribbean. The characteristic odor and flavor of ginger is caused by a mixture at zingerone, shogaols and gingerrols. In laboratory animals, the gingerols increase the motility. Ginger has analgesic, sedative, antipyretic, and antibacterial properties. Ginger oil has been shown to prevent skin cancer in mice and a study demonstrated that gingerrols can kill ovarian cancer cells.