Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in Southeast Asia and is now known as one of the healthiest spices on the planet. It’s closely related to turmeric and can be used fresh, dried, powdered, as an oil, or as a juice. Since ginger contains gingerol, which has powerful medical properties, there are a ton of health benefits of ginger that can come in handy for a lot of people dealing with a variety of ailments. So, if you’re wondering what the health benefits of ginger in your diet and how it can help you – keep reading!
Ginger is a well-known medicinal food and home remedy ingredient that comes in many forms–juiced, minced, in supplements, in tea, I mean the list goes on. It has a very very long history of use in traditional and alternative medicine to aid digestion, reduce nausea, help fight the flu, fight infections, combat the common cold, improve mental focus, boost stamina, reduce stress, and boost overall immunity. Plus, gingerol has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that further aid in treating the skin and improving skin health. To put it in perspective, here is a full list of the health benefits of ginger:
Since ginger has antioxidant effects, it can reduce oxidative stress and fight against an excess number of free radicals in the body. With antioxidants, these compounds can prevent stress and damage to your body’s DNA while fighting off chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and lung disease. Plus, you can avoid premature signs of aging.
With ginger’s ability to target inflammation, it is valuable in managing arthritis, headaches, and menstrual cramps.
Ginger has a warming effect that can stimulate circulation (1).
Ginger is said to be highly effective against nausea and vomiting, especially for those undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, or experiencing pregnancy-related morning sickness.
Ginger may play a role in weight loss as it can help reduce body mass index and blood insulin levels (2). Plus, it’s said that ginger has the potential to help increase the number of calories burned or reduce inflammation.
This is a common health problem that involves degeneration of the joints in the body, leading to joint pain and stiffness. Studies have shown that people who used ginger to help with their ailment saw significant reductions in pain.
Besides helping with osteoarthritis, researchers have studied the effects of ginger on those with exercise-induced muscle pain. Also, another one of the key health benefits of ginger is reducing dysmenorrhea or the pain before or during menstruation.
Ginger may have powerful anti-diabetic properties as studies have shown that ginger can dramatically improve blood sugar levels. As a result, this can improve various heart disease risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes. As always, it’s important to consult your doctor before making any medical decisions.
Several studies have looked into ginger’s effects on the gasses that form in the intestinal tract during digestion, suggesting that enzymes in ginger can help the body break up and expel gas. This provides relief from the discomfort of trapped gas. Plus, ginger seems to have an effect on increasing movement through the digestive tract to prevent or relieve constipation.
Many people use ginger to help recover from the cold or flu, and it’s become a popular home remedy by spreading through word-of-mouth. Fresh ginger has been studied to indicate that it may help protect the respiratory system.
As mentioned earlier, ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered, as an oil, or as a juice when added to recipes. It’s often added to food, cosmetics, and topicals due to all of their health benefits. Whatever it may be, there are a lot of different ways that you can use this spice in a wellness recipe or topical treatment to get the full health benefits of ginger. Here are our favorite ways to use ginger:
Written by Selena Ponton
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