20 Amazing Health Benefits Of Ginger

Putting the spice’s flavor aside, the health benefits of ginger makes it a prime contender for the best superfood ever.

Ginger is already fairly popular but some of the other names for ginger are luya, gyin, khing, jahe, halia, gingifer, and gingiber.

Many of us enjoy using this spice to add flavor to our meals regularly.

However, the incredible ginger health benefits and ability to relieve everything from inflammation to digestive problems is the reason it ranks high on the list of the best superfoods around.

Are you curious to know what health benefits are there in ginger? Read on to discover the amazing health benefits of ginger and how much you should consume on a regular basis.

Why You Should Have Ginger Regularly

Ginger is a popular plant whose rhizome or ginger root is commonly used as a spice. It can be used to add zest to food, zip to drinks, and even as a food preservative.

For thousands of years, Chinese medicine has used ginger to prevent and cure different health problems. Ginger is known to boost the body’s energy levels and to enhance the rate of metabolism in the body.

Here is a list of some incredible ginger health benefits that you should know about so you can get to eat more of this spice to boost your health and vitality!

1. Ginger Contains Different Vitamins And Minerals

Let’s start with the different nutrients you can get from consuming ginger.

It’s a source of fiber and protein.

The vitamins you get from ginger are vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

As for your daily minerals needs, you can get calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc.

2. Is A Natural Remedies for Nausea Relief

Next time you are down with nausea, queasiness, or motion sickness, consider taking ginger. Candied ginger root, ginger ale, and ginger pills have all proven to alleviate nausea.

According to a recent research study, ginger is as effective as scopolamine in easing nausea even without causing the nasty side effects.

Ginger is also proven to ease morning sickness among pregnant women. In one study, ginger was shown to reduce nausea, but the regularity of vomiting did not change.

To be on the safe side, be sure to contact your doctor before consuming ginger while you’re pregnant.

3. Ginger Helps With Your Osteoarthritis Condition

Regular consumption of ginger can be beneficial to you if you’re suffering from osteoarthritis.

This is because it has anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities.

In a controlled study, 247 persons who have osteoarthritis were given ginger extracts.

Researchers observed that these people experienced less pain and required fewer pain medications.

It can also be helpful with other forms of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis.

4. Helps Manage Blood Sugar Balance

Ginger has also shown to help those who want to lose weight. It seems to momentarily enhance thermogenesis in the human body.

Thermogenesis refers to the metabolic process in which the body burns off accumulated fat to generate heat.

Therefore, ginger has a positive impact on the rate of metabolism, boosting the body’s fat-burning abilities.

For anyone with blood sugar problems, experts recommend taking ginger since it has both preventive and therapeutic effects.

5. Ginger May Help Improve Brain Functions

Studies that were conducted with animals have shown ginger to have antioxidants and bioactive compounds that are able to inhibit the inflammatory responses that happen to the brain.

There is also another study, this time with middle-aged women who were given ginger extracts.

Researchers noticed that these women showed improved reaction time and working memory.

These effects may improve the brain’s functions as well as delay or even prevent age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Another food that you may want to check that can improve your brain functions is coconut oil.

You can check my article about the health benefits of coconut oil here.

6. Boosts Insulin Sensitivity and Prevents Diabetes

Those with health issues such as diabetes will be pleased to note that ginger can boost insulin sensitivity and helps to relieve diabetes symptoms.

Many people tend to be insulin resistant due to dietary habits, which contribute to weight gain, chronic inflammation, and other disorders associated with it (including Type 2 Diabetes and metabolic syndrome.)

Increasing insulin sensitivity is of the utmost importance, and ginger can help with this.

7. Ginger Is A Home Remedy For Colds And Flu

Ginger has been traditionally used as a remedy for colds and flu.

This is especially done in Asian countries.

Ginger tea is also used to treat coughing and sore throat.

These effects can be attributed to the fact that it has antiviral qualities that are good against respiratory tract infection.

Here’s a published study by the Journal of Ethnopharmacology that can give more details about this.

8. Boosts Digestion

In herbal medicine, ginger has been used for many years to boost digestion. It has shown to be a good remedy for indigestion, bloating, and stomach pain.

Chewing a tiny fresh ginger a few minutes before a meal can improve digestion as well as ease nausea, motion sickness, and other stomach problems.

9. Ginger Helps Relieve Asthma

We’ve already mentioned that ginger is good for respiratory infections, let’s also add that it can help relieve asthma and other respiratory disorders.

Its anti-inflammatory qualities are helpful in keeping a smoother path for air to flow in and out of your lungs.

A certain active compound in ginger, zerumbone is able to relieve asthma.

10. Lowers Blood Pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a very common disease that, if left untreated, can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys, brain, heart, and arteries.

Medical experts usually reduce blood pressure tablets to patients, but it is also possible to lower blood pressure naturally.

Ginger is known to boost blood pressure (alongside medication) by working as a vasodilator. This means that it expands the blood vessels, thereby increasing blood circulation in the body.

This ultimately reduces the blood pressure in all parts of the body. Ginger is also rich in minerals like potassium, which has been shown to help reduce blood pressure.

11. Ginger May Help Protect Your Liver

If you eat ginger regularly, you may have increased your chances of preventing hepatotoxicity.

Hepatotoxicity is the damage done to your liver caused by certain chemicals.

Some animal studies even show that the essential oils of ginger were able to protect the liver from cadmium poisoning.

12. Eases Pain

Ginger is also becoming more and more popular due to its ability to relieve arthritis pain and inflammation.

It helps to achieve this by reducing the levels of prostaglandins, which are tissue hormones that can cause pain and inflammation. A recent study found that ginger has great joint-protective properties.

Next time you suffer from migraine pain, make sure to give ginger or ginger powder a try. Another study found that ginger can greatly reduce muscle soreness.

13. Ginger Is Good For Your Heart

Ginger’s effects on your body will eventually lead to better heart health.

Since it’s able to lower your cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels, it reduces the stress in your heart.

It not only helps maintain the good functioning of your heart, but it also prevents different kinds of heart diseases.

14. Has Powerful Anti-Bacterial Properties

This list of the health benefits of ginger can never be complete without mentioning the fact that it has strong antibacterial properties.

Studies have shown that ginger has great antibacterial properties in clinical applications.

In these studies, experts reported that ginger has the potential to treat numerous microbial diseases, including E. coli and Bacillus.

When it comes to oral health, different kinds of ginger have shown to hinder the growth of pathogens that are responsible for causing periodontitis.

These antibacterial properties show clearly that food has great medical attributes, well known since time immemorial.

15. Ginger May Help Boost Sexual Activity

Some cultures, especially in Ayurveda, consider ginger as an aphrodisiac.

They claim that it can help arouse desire and even enhance sexual activity.

This effect is more likely because ginger helps improve blood circulation, including parts of your body that you need for sexual activities.

16. Relieves Menstrual Pains

Additionally, the pain that comes with female menstruation seems to be reduced significantly with the use of ginger.

In one research study, it was found that ginger is as helpful as ibuprofen when it comes to reducing menstrual pains. This is some good news for all women.

Therefore, the next time you suffer from cramps during your menstrual cycle, consider taking ginger.

17. Ginger Boosts Your Immunity

Ginger is packed with qualities that can greatly improve your body’s immunity or ability to fight diseases.

The combination of nutrients, antioxidants, antibacterial qualities, and anti-inflammatory qualities can significantly improve your chances against different kinds of diseases.

18. Lowers Cholesterol Levels

As we’ve mentioned above, ginger is effective in lowering blood pressure. However, it has also shown to have a positive effect on cholesterol levels.

Ginger reduces the level of cholesterol in the body by decreasing the number of low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol), also known as bad cholesterol.

This leads to atherosclerosis, which elevates the risk of stroke and heart attack.

19. Ginger Contains Antioxidants

Ginger contains substances like gingerol and shogaol that can be considered as antioxidants.

To add more, ginger has vitamin C which also acts as an antioxidant in your body.

Antioxidants are important because they fight free radicals that can cause different chronic diseases.

20. Contains a Compound That Might Help Prevent Cancer

The ginger extract contains a compound known as 6-gingerol, which is believed to have powerful anti-cancer properties.

Evidence from various studies has shown that ginger may help prevent pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. However, more research needs to be done to prove these claims.

How Much Is Too Much?

Those are some of the most important health benefits of ginger. How much and how you take it is up to you.

There are people who claim that taking 3 tablespoons of ginger powder two to three times per day delivers the best results.

Many people also mix honey and ginger to relieve cough and consume it several times per day.

Ginger is commonly used in candy and meals, so it can be difficult to determine the exact amount each person should consume.

Conclusion

Ginger is one of the best spices in the world today. The more studies are done on this awesome spice, the more potential health benefits are being discovered.

Try to make ginger a part of your regular diet and you’ll enjoy these health benefits and many more!

Whether it’s relieving inflammation pain or helping with digestion, it is clear ginger has a huge role to play in our search for better health!

My favorite in the list of health benefits of ginger is that it’s helpful in relieving symptoms of arthritis. What’s yours?

Just to be sure, please seek advice from your doctor or medical professional if you’re uncertain about consuming ginger.

How do you consume ginger? Do you add it to your dishes or do you drink it as ginger tea?

Don’t forget to share this article. Thank you!

Originally published at https://pangbenta.com on February 21, 2019.