Ginger has been an important ingredient in many cuisines all around Asia. Asian people love to include it into their dishes both because of the taste it gives as well as the healing properties it possesses. Ginger is great forimproving your digestion, relieving nausea as well assoothing pains, among many other things.
The most used part of ginger, for both culinary and medical purposes, is its root – also known as the rhizome. And there are different ways in which you can prepare it: you can eat if fresh, drink its juice, use the oils extracted from it or simply add it to your meal in a form of a powder or spice. Prepare it in any way that suites you best, but start using it today.
If you are still skeptical about using ginger, here are 8 reasons to convince you:
- Ginger relieves nausea
Ginger is a very safe home remedy. If you suffer from nausea, it’s good to consume it raw or in the form of a tea. Ginger is known to be very helpful in relieving nausea during pregnancy and cancer treatments. One study that provedthis included 1,278 pregnant women who consumed 1.1-1.5 grams of ginger. The results showed that ginger helped them reduce their nausea and morning sickness.
- Ginger relieves digestive issues
Thanks to the phenolic compounds that ginger possesses, it has the ability to relieve irritation in the gastrointestinal tract. Ginger stimulates the production of saliva and bile and makes it easier for food and fluids to move smoothly through the GI tract. This claim was proven by a study in which 24 healthy individuals took part. Before a meal, every one of them took 1.2 grams of ginger powder, which helped them empty their stomachs faster, thus reducing indigestion by 50%.
- Ginger can improve brain function
Chronic inflammations and oxidative stress are two important factors responsible for the aging process and quite possibly Alzheimer disease and other age-related cognitive impairments. Thanks to the bioactive compound and the antioxidants it contains, ginger can inhibit inflammatory responses that occur in the brain. This was proven by a study that involved 60 middle-age women, which showed that ginger can improve the working memory and the brain’s reaction time. This means that ginger supports brain health in multiple ways.
- Ginger reduces inflammation
It was proven that ginger can be beneficial for people suffering from osteoarthritis. This is a common chronic condition that causes joint aches and stiffness. Thanks to a trial study which involved 247 people with knee-osteoarthritis, we now know that those who regularly take ginger extracts have less pain and problems with their knees and they also require less pain medications.
- Ginger can relieve muscle pain
According to a study conducted by the University of Georgia, if you consume ginger on a daily basis it can reduce your muscle pain by 25%. Also, it was proved that ginger can help you soothe your menstrual pains and reduce the day-to-day progression of muscle pain.
- Ginger lowers cholesterol
Medical experts believe that lowering the cholesterol levels can also lower the risk of developing heart disease. In a recent study, which involved 85 people with high cholesterol level and lasted for 45 days, it was proven that only 3 grams of ginger a day can significantly lower your cholesterol levels.
- Ginger may reduce risk of heart disease
Ginger has an important role in fighting type2 diabetes. After conducting a ginger study, researchers have found that only 2 grams of ginger per day can lower the blood sugar and cause 10% overall reduction in a period of only 12 weeks. And, knowing that high blood sugar is a great contributor to heart disease, with lowering the blood sugar ginger will also lower the risk of developing a heart disease by 10%.
Ginger may have anti-cancer properties
There is a substance in ginger called 6-gingerol which has been studied and researched as an alternative treatment for different cancer types. However, the topic is still discussed and researches are still being conducted. One of these studies found that only 2 grams of ginger per day can reduce the risk of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules in the colon.
