Spicy Ginger Goodness: Why Ginger is Amazing For You
Ginger seems to be the perfect spice for colder months, since it has a spicy kick to it and can be a great addition to any teas or recipes to boost the flavor. Because ginger is often promoted as a superfood, as in “ginger shots”, ginger teas and all other things ginger, I wanted to look into why ginger has such a highly acclaimed health status in the first place. What makes it beneficial or us and how we can include more of it in our diets overall?
The ginger root from which ginger is sourced from, has for a long time been used as a natural form of medicine across many cultures and populations. It was especially prominent in Asian cultures where it was used for treating stomach issues, nausea and diarrhea among other health issues.
If you are not a fan of ginger, I can understand since it does not have a sweet taste, but I believe that if it is paired with the right other ingredients within drinks or meals, I think it can be a great additional to taste and even the nutritional profile of our food.
Happy reading ahead 😊
WHAT CAN YOU FIND IN GINGER?
Ginger is low in calories and general macronutrients but does contain modest amounts of other micronutrients such as:
Vitamins: B3, B6, B9, C
Minerals: Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc
But more importantly ginger contains many bioactive natural oil compounds among which the main one is Gingerol which is responsible for giving ginger its distinct smell and strong flavor. Gingerol among with other potent phytochemicals, is also responsible for giving ginger its acclaimed health benefits which you can read more about below.
MAIN HEALTH PROPERTIES OF GINGER
Anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties:
These two properties are mainly due to the high gingerol concentration found in fresh ginger, which is also the leading reason for the many health benefits that ginger offers such as preventing chronic disease and promoting healthy cell aging.
Antibacterial and antiseptic properties:
Some studies have shown that fresh ginger has potent antibacterial properties, especially against E. coli bacteria. For this reason, ginger is recognized as an agent which prevents the growth of harmful organisms (an antiseptic) and is also able to be used against various bacterial and viral infections.
8 PROFOUND HEALTH IMPACTS OF GINGER
Effectively Treats Nausea
There are many studies which are showing a strong link between ginger consumption and its effect in relieving nausea in people who are undergoing certain types of surgeries or the nausea experienced by pregnant women (morning sickness).
About 1 to 1.5 grams of ginger is considered to be an adequate amount to help with nausea, but more testing is needed to confirm the causation exactly.
May Help With Loosing Weight
Based on animal and human studies, consuming ginger may have a positive effect on weight management, where for example a study from 2019 showed that ginger supplementation greatly reduced waist to hip ratio and reduced body weight in people who were overweight or obese.
Furthermore, a 2016 study discovered that ginger could lower blood insulin levels, where consistently elevated insulin is associated with a increased chance of weight gain.
Improves Blood Sugar Regulation
A 2015 study suggested that ginger may actually be very effective as a anti diabetic, where throughout the study, 41 participants who has type II diabetes, consumed 2 grams of ginger powder per day and experienced a 12% decrease in their fasting blood sugar.
Additionally, the study showed that ginger has the power to also reduce levels of certain hemoglobin markers in our blood which indicate long term blood sugar levels.
Although some studies currently contradict each other in their findings on gingers ability to help regulate blood sugar levels, there certainly is potential in this field.
Helps With Chronic Indigestion
Chronic digestive issues are categorized by a usual discomfort in the upper section of the stomach, where this usually occurs due to the delayed emptying out our stomach. Interestingly thought, in studies ginger has been shown to speed up the emptying of the stomach.
In one study in particular people who had functional dyspepsia ‘indigestion with no known cause), either received capsules with ginger or a placebo, where 1 hour later they were all given soup to eat.
The study showed that those participants who ate ginger, took 12.3 minutes for their stomach to empty while the placebo group took around 16 minutes, meaning that ginger actually did help with stomach emptying.
Helps With Easing Menstrual Pain
To continue on the topic of ginger and pain management, some studies have shown that ginger also help with pain relief from mensuration, where in fact sometimes the pain relief is so effective that it is comparable to medications (Non steroidal Anti inflammatory drugs) used to help relive menstrual pain.
Although these studies are promising, a larger number of participants is needed to make any concrete conclusions.
Enhances Your Immunity
Thanks to gingerol and its potent antiseptic and anti inflammatory properties, ginger is very effective at boosting our immune system in ways such as easing symptoms of cold, treating sore throats, inflammation within the lungs and any general aches and pains felt from colds. In this way, regular ginger consumption especially when paired with honey (Find out more about honey here), can work to enhance the functioning of your immune system and keep levels of inflammation within your body steady.
Because of gingers antiviral and antibacterial properties, it too can safe guard the body from infections and unwanted bacterial outbursts.
If you are additionally interested in how to strengthen your immunity within these last few colder months, I encourage you to read about it here
Could Have Anti Cancer Effects
There is some evidence that exists to show that ginger may potentially have anti cancer properties.
These properties are largely attributed to a natural compound found in ginger - (6)gingerol. A 28 day study was done in individuals with colorectal cancer where each participant consumed 2 grams of ginger per day which overall reduced pro inflammatory signaling molecules within the colon, that are in part responsible for encouraging growth of cancer cells.
Although some studies obtained different results, there certainly is a possibility that ginger in its natural form has a positive impact on stopping the growth of cancer cells.
Protects Against Cognitive Decline
Alzheimers disease and other related cognitive decline conditions, tend to occur most likely due to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation which over time accelerate aging. This occurs especially quickly if we live a sedentary lifestyle, eat foods low in nutrients and generally exercise our brain little.
But certain bioactive compounds in ginger have shown to be able to inhibit or prevent inflammatory responses which can occur in the brain, which overtime could help protect against conditions of cognitive decline.
Some studies even indicated that fresh ginger consumption may in general enhance brain function, in terms of improving overall reaction time and working memory.
INCLUDING MORE GINGER INTO YOUR DIET
Personally I like to include ginger into my diet a couple of times per day, and some of my favorite ways include:
Making ginger tea with fresh ginger, lemon juice and honey for sweetness
Sautéing ginger together with garlic and onions at the start of dishes or stir-fries
Blending it into soups such as vegetable soups, pumpkin soup and soups with coconut milk
Some other ideas for how you could use ginger:
Blend it into smoothies
Grate it inside of sauces or spreads
Pair it with other spices and oils to make a marinade for meat, fish or vegetables
Making sweet and spicy salad dressings
Snacking on candied ginger
Incorporating fresh ginger into deserts or baked goods
Eating pickled ginger which often accompanies sushi and other asian dishes
I hope that with this blog post I have inspired you to try and include more ginger into your weekly diet or that I have at least convinced you to give ginger another go, because within the right recipe or use, you might just fall in love with it.
Additionally, I hope you were able to learn some new information on this medicinal root and how it can boost your own health and well being.
Thank you so much for taking your time to read this.
As always, if you have any specific requests for topics or ideas, please let me know 😊
