Health Benefits of Ginger -

Ginger is a tasty spice that can be used to flavor a variety of things, including stir fry, salad dressing, cookies, cakes, chicken, tea and syrup to name a few. (1) It has a long history as a natural way to solve a lot of ailments. It is also considered by many to be a superfood because it’s packed with nutrients that are known to keep people healthy and happy.

Ginger Helps Control inflammation

One common use of ginger is the reduction of inflammation. Ginger has phytonutrients that aid in cell protection and therefore minimize inflammation. This is important for people with osteoarthritis and joint pain, which is largely due to inflammation. Consequently people have found ginger to be an effective treatment when dealing with osteoarthritis.(2) This is done because cells in the body benefit from the nutrients in ginger that help them to stay strong and healthy. Those looking to use ginger to treat their osteoarthritis can choose to apply it topically on the affected joint or orally, as studies have found both to be effective in aiding in the treatment of inflammation. (3)

Ginger Aids in Pain Reduction Especially During Menstruation

Ginger has been used and studied as a form of relieving a variety of types of pain including pain from surgery and exercise. (4)

One thing ginger is particularly known for is helping women to reduce period discomfort. Although they are admittedly small, some studies suggest that ginger helps women to feel better during their menstrual cycle. (5)

Ginger Helps Prevent Cancer

The nutrients in ginger have antioxidant properties that help protect your cells and prevent cancer. During the digestion process toxic substances are sometimes created that are harmful to cells and promote cancer. The nutrients in ginger help to eliminate these toxic substances and lower the risk of cancer.

Studies are definitely promising in helping a person stay healthy against certain types of cancer. Colon cancer seems to be most affected by ginger (6). Certain types of other cancer have been studied with positive results. (7)(8)

Ginger Helps Prevent Nausea

Ginger has been found to help with nausea from a variety of causes. Whether the cause of your nausea is chemotherapy, surgery or being on the ocean, ginger can help keep your queasiness at bay.(9)

Though the research is small, an exciting study found ginger to be a positive and safe way to calm the stomachs of those suffering from morning sickness. (10)

Ginger Helps Control Blood Sugar

According to a recent study ginger can help lower blood sugar. Those in the study who took ginger had significantly lower blood sugar levels. The also showed promise helping the subject’s blood sugar remain lower over time(11). It is good to remember the use of ginger will be most effective with a proper diet, but could give those who are struggling to lower their blood sugar even with a good diet, and added boost.

Ginger Promotes Heart Health

The same study that showed ginger can have a positive effect on the lowering of blood sugar also showed ginger to be effective in lowering indicators for heart disease.

Another scholarly article touted the use of ginger as a natural way to help reduce a person’s blood sugar and bad cholesterol(12).

Ginger Aids in Digestion

For those who have trouble with digestive issues ginger can help with that too. The use of ginger can improve the stomach’s ability to digest food and therefore minimize the presence of indigestion. (13)

Ginger Helps the Immune System

There is some evidence that studies have found ginger to protect the body from bacterial infection. (14) It also appears that when fresh ginger is used, there is protection against viruses that might infect the lungs.. (15) Last , but not least, ginger was found to be really good at keeping your mouth healthy and protecting against oral disease. (16)

Conclusion

It is easy to see that ginger has been named a superfood for good reason. There are many aspects of personal wellness to be gained by adding a little of this particular spice to your food.

1. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/13-recipes-make-want-linger-ginger

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4436156/

3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger#section4

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20418184

5. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2016/6295737/

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3618532/

7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2687755/

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2241638/

9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6341159/

10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24642205

11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277626/

12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093315/