Ginger is more than a garnish for sushi or added flavoring to holiday cookies. This root plant is responsible for numerous health and medicinal benefits. In fact, for thousands of years, eastern cultures valued it as a main staple in their diet. After learning about the many amazing benefits of ginger, you’re going to want to keep this spice on hand at all times.
What is Ginger?
Ginger is a flowering plant originating in China. Ginger can be consumed fresh, ground, oiled, or dried. The standard medicinal part of the plant is the rhizome that grows underground. The rhizome is the ginger root and is the main component of what makes up the spice. The rhizome is enriched in antioxidants for several pharmacological actions, including anti-parasitic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. The fresh smell of ginger comes from the oil called gingerol, and is the main bioactive ingredient for gingers medicinal properties.
Weight Loss and Exercise Benefits:
Fires up the metabolism by temporarily increasing thermogenesis, and research suggests it can improve it by 5%. Fat burning increases by 16% through ginger ingestion. For weight training, ginger may reduce post-exercise muscle soreness.
Fights Chronic Disease:
Ginger can help treat diabetes and heart-related conditions. It can reduce blood sugar because it increases insulin sensitivity and release. A recent study showed that after ingesting 2 grams of ginger powder daily, it lowered fasting blood glucose by 12 %. Long term, hemoglobin A1C reduced by 10% over ten weeks. In addition, there was a 23% reduction in oxidized lipoproteins, which are precursors for the clogging of the arteries related to heart disease. As a result, it helps to reduce cholesterol.
Reduces Nausea:
Ginger can be used for seasickness, morning sickness, and suggested for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. It is so effective it is as strong as prescription medications for these issues.
Anti-inflammatory:
The properties in ginger may be strong enough to rival NAISD treatment drugs. Therefore, ginger is beneficial for arthritis, migraine headaches, and menstrual pain. Specifically, in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, a study found ginger reduces joint swelling.
Fights Asthma and Allergies:
Inflammation and sensitivity in the airways cause Asthma. Ginger suppresses airway restrictions when asthma triggers arise, and its potent compound in ginger rhizomes can reduce allergic reactions.
Reduces Menstrual Pain:
Do you suffer from pain during menstruation? A study found ginger to reduce menstrual pain. It concluded the women who consumed 250 mg of ginger powder in the first three days of their cycle, successfully reduced their pain in the same way as if they were to take ibuprofen.
May Help Slow The Aging Process:
Ginger has high levels of antioxidants that slow age-related oxidative stress. What does that mean? Antioxidants protect against free radicals that can cause cell damage. Therefore, when the cells are damaged, it accelerates aging internally and externally (hello wrinkles). As a result, ginger helps to suppress this damage.
Improves Digestion and Digestive Disorders:
Ginger helps to reduce cramping, abdominal pain, belching, and bloating. It does this by accelerating gastric emptying. Impaired gastric emptying contributes to many of these issues. In addition, due to the anti-inflammatory and gastric benefits, Ginger is useful for relief from ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome.
Helps Boost Immunity:
Ginger boosts immunity mainly through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. But a study found fresh ginger to have antiviral properties in respiratory conditions by stimulating the bodies’ immune response.
Anti-Carcinogenic:
A substance in raw ginger, 6-gingerol, concluded to have cancer preventative and suppressive properties. Zerumbone, another content found in ginger, may suppress tumor growth in the body. The anticarcinogenic properties of ginger were studied in multiple cancers including: lung, breast, ovarian, colorectal, liver, and skin cancer.
Bottom Line:
Overall, ginger’s recognized by the food and drug administration as a food additive and safe. With all of the benefits outlined here, you can feel confident, adding ginger to your regular diet. The studied benefits promoted here are not meant as a replacement for any treatment prescribed by your doctor. Please speak with your doctor about any changes you make to your diet if you have a severe condition like cancer.
Click Here For Free Recipes Using Ginger for Medicine!
References
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger#section7
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
