Ginger is not often used by the majority of Americans, even though it commonly appears in the kitchens of countries across the globe. With so many healthy properties to it, it makes sense to start adding this to more of your dishes, or to start brewing a daily glass of ginger tea. It’s easy enough to make ginger tea, simply add boiling water to slices of ginger root. Adding lemon is a way to make it taste better and get more benefits from it.
Prevention and Treatment
Fights Cancer – There are particular cancers that ginger has been shown to help treat, including ovarian cancer. Research has proven that ginger can act to literally obliterate ovarian cancer cells. Even more promising is that the cells actually end up killing and attacking themselves. This is good news for those that already have cancer, and reason enough to start having more ginger show up in your diet if you’re currently cancer-free.
Helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Those suffering from IBS will be happy to note that getting more ginger should spell relief from the symptoms of the condition. The interesting thing to note is that it doesn’t seem to matter how you get the ginger into your system, whether including more ginger root in your cooking, taking ginger supplements, or brewing ginger tea, they all seem to have a calming effect on the bowels and digestive system.
Protects Against Alzheimer’s Disease – If Alzheimer’s runs in your family, or you are just worried about coming down with the debilitating disease, you should think about incorporating more ginger into your diet and daily routine. Research has shown that ginger helps to slow down the loss of brain cells that typically is a precursor to Alzheimer’s. By protecting and preserving these cells you are prolonging the amount of good years you have being alert and coherent and aware of your surroundings.
Weight Loss
Stimulates Appetite – If you have a sluggish digestive system and find that you need to get your digestive fires going before a meal, ginger can help. It may be the case that you don’t produce enough stomach acid, and ginger can act as an appetite stimulant, getting your digestive juices revved up so that you are able to digest your meal better. Improper digestion of foods leaves them fermenting in your digestive tract, and can contribute to weight gain.
Helps with Weight Loss – Losing weight is one of the most significantly positive things you can do for your overall health, and ginger can play an integral role in the process. The reason is because it acts as a fat burner, specifically helping to make sure that the weight you’re losing is from fat, and not just general weight or water loss. Another factor that helps shed the pounds is that ginger helps you feel full, so you’ll eat less and feel fuller longer, reducing your overall caloric intake.
Relieves Tired Muscles – The sort of muscle tiredness you get after strength training is the type that ginger works best on. This means that your muscles will recover better and allow you to take part in cardio workouts on your off days. It means you’ll be more likely to be more active instead of being out of commission on the days following your weight lifting workouts. Increased lean muscle mass generally equates to natural weight loss as you burn calories around the clock.
Helps Manage Glucose Levels – Research out of Australia suggests that ginger can help keep blood glucose levels in check. This is important because these levels have a direct impact on weight loss and weight gain, as well as how energetic or lethargic you feel throughout the day. If you’ve noticed that you get a midday crash it’s likely due to your blood sugar levels, and adding ginger to your lunch might help you stay focused and on task. An all-natural alternative to products like 5 Hour “Energy”.
Helps the Body Absorb Nutrients – When you’re trying to lose weight getting the right nutrients is essential. But if your body is overweight and not used to getting the nutrients it needs, it may have become used to not getting the required vitamins and now it doesn’t properly absorb them. More ginger means that you’ll be better absorbing the sort of nutrients that will help you in your pursuit and get you better results more quickly with the same amount of effort.
General Health and Well-Being
Helps with Morning Sickness – Pregnant women might want to opt for more ginger intake when they are suffering from bouts of morning sickness. The ginger acts as calming agent, and when compared to a placebo came through with shining colors in clinical tests. It’s always fun when an all-natural remedy gets backed by scientific research. It’s as if science is finally figuring out that natural herbs and foods have great value.
Reduces Arthritic Inflammation – The anti-inflammatory nature of ginger means that it can help with a host of inflammation-based conditions and diseases. Not least of which is arthritis, which millions of American suffer from, with millions more diagnosed each years as the baby boomer population grow older. There is even a bit of a pain relief characteristic to ginger, which is welcome news to those that don’t want to take a pill every day to relieve pain.
Opens Up Inflamed Airways – If you have asthma you have likely been scouring the Internet for ways to help open up your airways that don’t involve taking steroid-based medications. Ginger has been shown to open up airways by reducing inflammation, and it can also relieve any pain symptoms caused by the problem. This may not solve your asthma condition on its own, but it can be used as part of a comprehensive approach.
Improves Circulation – Ginger gets the blood in your body flowing, which will give you a feeling of having more energy, and can help you with any feelings of sluggishness or fatigue. It’s a great thing to drink if you live in a cold climate, because it will provide the sort of warmth you’re really after, the kind that comes from the inside and radiates out. This is because it is opening your pores and getting your overall circulation functioning better.
Looking for more superfoods? See why you should be using coconut oil & drinking green tea whenever you can.
Minor Ailments
Heals Frostbite – Here’s a handy tip to remember if you ever come down with a case of frostbite. You can drink ginger tea during your recovery process to speed things along. Ginger will help to improve your circulation, which helps your body return the affected parts back to their normal state. You don’t have to drink very much of it in order to get the desired results, just about 8 ounces a day is all that’s necessary to have it work.
Stops Motion Sickness – Ginger has long been used as a natural remedy for motion sickness. It is most effective when used as a deterrent to motion sickness when on the water. It’s so good at what it does that it has even been shown to outdo OTC medications like Dramamine. It knocks out all of the accompanying symptoms of motion sickness, so you don’t have to worry about getting dizzy, feeling nauseous, breaking into cold sweats, or worse, puking out the window or over the side of the boat.
Blocks Acid from Heartburn – If you frequently get heartburn, you should consider using ginger as a way to get around it. The excess acid that leads to the condition can be undone by the properties of ginger. The nice thing is that ginger is far more economical than an over-the-counter drug or a prescription drug on most health plans. Another side benefit is that there are no side effects to taking it, and it can be used for the long term with no worries.
Relieves Gas – Gas can be embarrassing at the wrong times, and there are a ton of anti-gas products on the market. If you’re looking for a more natural way to treat it you should start buying and using more ginger. Ginger tea is easy enough to make and drink and if you drink it before you go to sleep you can let it work overnight while you’re sleeping. It should act to clear out your digestive system and neutralize the problem from the inside.
Provides Pain Relief – No matter what type of pain you’re suffering from, ginger can act as a natural pain reliever. It’s interesting to think that a root that grows in nature can actually affect how much pain you’re experiencing. It works on a hormonal level, and the anti-inflammatory nature means that overall you should have fewer aches and pains. Consider starting your morning with a cup of ginger tea and see if you notice improvements throughout the day.
Clears Sinuses – If you’re looking for sinus relief without having to resort to an over-the-counter drug, turn to ginger first. There is an active ingredient in ginger that has shown to work wonders on the sinuses, helping to unclog them and facilitate drainage. All you need to do is brew a nice cup of hot ginger tea to get the benefits without the use of medications with possible side effects.
Improves Your Breath – Unlike other foods like garlic, ginger can actually help to improve the status of your breath. Eaten towards the end of your meal it can cleanse the palate and leave your mouth feeling refreshed. You can also drink it as a beverage mixed with simple hot water. It’s a great way to flush out your mouth and neutralize a bad taste in your mouth, like the dreaded “coffee breath” from drinking coffee.
Super Spice
Increases Sexual Desire – With an increased function in the circulatory system, it’s no wonder that ginger has been referenced as an aphrodisiac for thousands of years. It didn’t take long for people to make the connection that after consuming ginger they felt an extra pep in their step and felt like things were firing on all cylinders. The nice part is that it works for both sexes equally, since both the clitoris and penis rely heavily on circulation in order to become aroused and engorged.
Strengthens Immunity – This is a fantastic feature to ginger that should pique the curiosity of anyone that was contemplating taking it or not. An improved immune system can mean that you get sick less often, that you recover more quickly when you do get sick, and that even if everyone else around you is coming down with an illness you can stay healthy. The research behind this property is solid, this is another instance where science is backing up an all-natural remedy.
Protects Against Nuclear Radiation – Hopefully not something you have to worry about in the near future, but still good to know in case World War III breaks out. But those living near the Fukushima disaster area have given strong consideration to upping their ginger intake with this news. If you want to get the full benefits of this feature you’ll have to have a daily dose of ginger so it’s in your system, and stays there.
Hopefully you’ve seen that it’s a good idea to add ginger to your list of things to buy on your next grocery trip. No matter what format you choose, whether you want to use ginger root in your meals, brew some ginger tea, or buy it in supplement form, you should be able to experience its many benefits. Just be sure that if you get it in supplement form you’re getting an organic brand, free of any other fillers.
Ginger FAQ
Does ginger boost metabolism?
One of ginger’s properties is to increase your metabolism, but it does so only slightly, and not enough to rely on as the sole way of getting the job done. But as far as part of a comprehensive plan to boost your metabolism, including increasing the amount of lean muscle you have, it could create a synergistic effect and leave you in a state of 24 hour fat burning.
Will ginger make you sleepy?
Because of its calming nature on many systems of the body, a common question is whether ginger will make you sleepy or drowsy. There are other properties of ginger that make it unlikely that it will make you sleepy. It increases the circulation and most users report that it gives them more energy, not less. When it is time for sleep though, ginger may help remove toxins that used to lead to sleeplessness, allowing you to fall asleep more easily.
Is ginger calming?
Because ginger improves the circulation, many report a feeling of warmth, and subsequent calm after taking it. It also has calming and soothing properties for the internal organs due to its anti-inflammatory effects. Many times ginger ale is served to someone that has an upset stomach, due to its calming properties.
Does ginger give you energy?
It may give you energetic feelings because it is increasing the circulatory system, allowing the blood inside you to move more freely throughout the body. The sensation this provides is one where you feel the get up and go that you once did in your younger years. It’s hard to define just what energy means, but this should help you feel like you can be more active.
Will ginger make you poop?
There is some anecdotal evidence that ginger helps keep you regular, or acts as a laxative, but it is not as reliable as other all-natural herbs and spices that are known to get things moving. Because it helps to cleanse your digestive tract, it can also lead to more frequent bowel movements, but isn’t by itself typically used to stimulate the bowels.
Is ginger easy to digest?
For most people ginger is easy to digest, and actually aids in the digestion of other foods. Of course there are cases where some have reported having trouble digesting and processing ginger. If you are worried about being able to process it properly, start off with a little bit and see how you respond to it, gradually increasing your intake as you get the all clear from your body.
Does ginger boost the immune system?
One of the properties of ginger is that it does help to strengthen the immune system. Studies have shown that cancer patients taking daily supplements of ginger are able to recover more quickly from anti-cancer procedures compared to those that take nothing or a placebo.
Is ginger high in vitamins?
Ginger isn’t really known for the high amount of vitamins it contains, but rather the effect it has on the body directly. It has small amounts of Vitamin A and C, but nothing to write home about.
Does ginger cause gas?
It shouldn’t, in fact it helps to neutralize gases from forming in your digestive system, and drinking ginger tea on a regular basis should cut down on the amount of gas you have overall.
Is ginger low carb?
There are 18 grams of carbs in 100 grams of ginger, so it’s about 18% carbs. Compare that to 80% of rice coming from carbs. It would likely fit well into a low-carb diet, and should help you feel full for longer periods of time, helping to overcome the strong feelings of hunger that come from low-carb diets.
Does ginger dehydrate you?
Ginger acts as a diuretic, so if you don’t keep yourself properly hydrated you might find that you get dehydrated more quickly. Be sure to drink an extra glass of water to account for your ginger intake.
