Ginger 11 Proven Health Benefits [No 8 Make It Unique ]

Ginger is among the oldest and healthiest herbs used as medicine. Due to nutrient richness, it provides wide range of health benefits.

For centuries now, it has been extremely valued for its aromatic, medicinal and healing properties.

Here are some of the reasons why you should make ginger as a part of your daily diet and include it in your diet!

It’s used as spice for foods or to enhance the taste of tea.

With abundant amount of active compounds, it’s loaded with many health benefits that you should explore to get its benefits. Also, you should know how to use it effectivity in your diets without causing any side-effect.

There is no evidence of side-effects so there is no reason for worry.

So explore health benefits of ginger to get its complete benefit.

1. Complete Benefit To Heart Health

Heart disease is the biggest killer around the world. With lots of people suffering from heart diseases the stats is increasing at faster pace.

Along with turmeric, garlic; you can also include ginger as your best friend for your heart. It is healthy if you consume it daily.

Ginger is a spice and can be used in food to get it benefit.

It possesses anti-blood clotting property that cleanup clots in the arteries improving the blood flood towards the heart. Its anti-blood clotting property protects from stroke and heart attack.

Researchers in Israel have found that ginger can provide overall benefits to the cardiovascular system. It can prevent atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol and prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein). (1)

3 groups of mice were divided to find effects of ginger and placebo.(2)

Each group was provided with 250 mg of ginger-extract, 25 mg of ginger-extract and placebo daily.

The group provided with 250mg of ginger-extract has greater benefits. Some of the significant results were:

• LDL oxidation and aggregation reduced.
• LDL cholesterol dropped by 33%.
• VLDL cholesterol dropped by 53%.
• Aortic atherosclerotic lesion areas reduced by 44%.

LDL is the major reason for the development of atherosclerosis which is responsible for the narrowing of arteries and blood vessels increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack.

While the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property is found to lower the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Wrap up: Ginger lower LDL cholesterol, prevent LDL oxidation and prevent atherosclerosis that prevent cardiovascular disease. Anti blood clotting property break blood clot that improves blood flow lowering the risk of stroke or heart attack.

2. Ginger Can Treat Nausea and Indigestion

Suffering from indigestion or morning sickness?

Ginger has been used for thousands of years as a cure for digestive ailments, morning sickness and also nausea. (3)

70% of patients going through chemotherapy suffers from acute nausea instead of anti-emetics treatment.

Chewing ginger or drinking ginger-tea is found effective against nausea during cancer treatment. A study found that supplementing 0.5 to 1 gram of ginger before chemo reduces the severity of nausea by 91%. (4, 5, 6)

The therapeutic chemical in ginger is found to work in the brain and nervous system to control the effect of queasiness (sick feeling in the stomach causing nausea).

From long it has been used as sea sickness remedy, and it is also prescribed as medication. (7)

In a study, it is found effective for pregnancy-related nausea as morning sickness. (8)

It is also helpful for people suffering from a bloated stomach, constipation and gastrointestinal disorders. It relaxes the smooth muscles in the small intestine helping the food move throughout the system.

Many people suffer from heartburn and indigestion. Multiple acid blockers are available but with many of side-effects like increased risk of bone fractures, pneumonia, cancer, and malabsorption issue.

Wrap up: Ginger can be used for digestive aid, morning sickness and nausea. It can be used to prevent acute nausea when going through chemotherapy.

3. Ginger Treat Malabsorption And Improve Energy Level

Malabsorption is usually confused with an eating disorder. But it’s not related to an eating disorder.

Malabsorption is a condition in which body is not able to absorb enough nutrients from foods instead of eating healthy and nutrients rich diet or even supplement.

Symptoms or signs of malnutrition can be weight loss, irritability, depression, muscle weakness or loss of energy. Increased craving for empty calorie foods as body lack energy is also a sign. The whole problem is due to lack of nutrition caused due to a lower rate of absorption of nutrients.

Improper digestion or unhealthy small intestine can be some of the major reason for the cause of malabsorption.

It can help out by improving the digestion, metabolism and relax the small intestine inner lining. With the healthy absorption of nutrient, it improves immunity, protects from multiple health disorders caused due to nutrients deficiency. (9)

Wrap up: Malabsoprtion has lead to nutrient deficiency instead of eating nutreint rich diet. Ginger improves digestion and small intestine health that plays major role in better digestion of food and abosrption of nutrients.

4. Ginger Improves Immunity and Respiratory Function

Ginger is a wonderful spice that boosts the immune system and also fights the respiratory infection. It is used from a long time to get relief from a cough and cold.

It is used to warm up during the cold day by adding into tea, promoting a healthy sweating. A healthy sweat is beneficial to prevent or even treat a cough and cold.

Sweating helps in detoxification releasing the cold and cough. Consuming it helps in controlling some of these diseases as it helps expand lungs and loosen up the accumulated phlegm. It naturally breaks down and removes mucus from the human body.

German researchers have found that sweat has a potent germ-fighting property that helps to fight infections. Dermicidin is a potential protein that is produced in sweat gland that is secreted through sweat and transported to the skin’s surface. 

Dermicidin stays on the skin surface providing protection against bacteria E. coli and fungi like Candida albicans (responsible for skin infections).

Ginger can inhibit the growth of many types of bacteria. (10, 11)

It is also effective against RSV virus responsible for respiratory infections. (12)

Applications of ginger-oil along with several drops of tea tree oil and coconut for 2-3 times a day can get rid of fungal infections.

A study found that it can also protect and treat from asthma as it inhibits an enzyme that narrow airway muscle and by activating enzyme that relaxes the airways.

Wrap up: Ginger heatup body to treat cough and cold. It provides oveall protection from bacterial, viral and fungal infections by improving immunity. It also has potential to cure asthma.

5. Ginger Cures Ulcers and GERD

Ginger is helpful to cure stomach ulcer for a long time.

It is found that fresh ginger is 6 – 8 times more potent in the treatment of Prevacid. (13)

Put a slice of fresh ginger in warm water for 30 minutes. Drink it 20 minutes before the meal.

Wrap up: It is best to cure ulcer and gerd when taken before meal with warm water.

6. Ginger Is Beneficial Against Exercise Related Pain

High inflammatory property of ginger has found to provide potential relief against moderate to large muscle pain or exercise-induced injury pain. (14)

But it doesn’t provide a quick relief against pain.

People consuming 2 gram of ginger found relief for arm pain by 13% after 24 hours but no effect after 45 minutes of consumption. It is concluded that it helps against the day-to-day progression of muscle pain. (15)

Wrap up: Inflammatory property provide relief against exercise induced muscle or injury pain. It don’t provide quick relief but it is helpful if you add it in your daily diet for better pain relief.

7. Gingerol Reduce Inflammation and Protect From Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common problem. It is due to degeneration of joints in the body.

Ginger has been used since a long time to reduce inflammation and protect from degeneration of joint preventing joint pain from osteoarthritis.

In a study 261 people took ginger extract twice daily has less pain and required less pain medication compared to people who took a placebo. (16)

Effectivity of ginger is due to its anti-inflammatory compound gingerol.

Wrap up: Anti-inflammatory and pain reliving property of ginger proves best to treat osteoarthritis.

8. Gingerol Provides Protection From Multiple Cancer

Cancer is the worst disease categorized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

There is widespread of cancer due to environmental change, lifestyle change, and dietary changes. It is due to the increased rate of damage caused due to inflammatory compounds that are responsible for the altered functioning of cells.

Inflammatory compounds cause damage at a cellular level, making a healthy cell a cancerous cell.

To stay protected from these health issues, anti-inflammatory compound plays a vital role.

In ginger, 6-gingerol is a potent compound that has high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property protecting from inflammation. (17, 18)

Study on 30 people found that taking 2g ginger extract daily decreased the activity of inflammatory compounds in the colon. With the reduced inflammatory marker in the colon, it lowers the risk of colon cancer. (19)

Gingerol is found to inhibit the colorectal cancer cells in human. (20)

A study by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that gingerol killed the ovarian cancer cells and also prevented building resistance to chemotherapy.

It is found highly beneficial in protecting from inflammation. It is effective against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer. But evidence is limited. Many studies are done to find its effectivity on rectal cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, and melanoma cancer. (21,22, 23).

Many research is done to find its efficiency in cancer protection. But you can enjoy its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property adding ginger to your diet.

Wrap up: Gingersol is an potent compunds that provide ginger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property. It protects from many types of cancer but reseach are done to find it effectivity.

9. Ginger Helps To Manage Diabetes And Lowers Its Complications

Ginger is found to assist in the management of high blood sugar level. A study by the University of Sydney in Australia found that it was effective to control glycemic level in type 2 Diabetes people. The study found that it increased uptake of glucose in muscle without using insulin. (24)

Consuming 3-gram ginger for 30 found a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood sugar level, and triglyceride.

It improves insulin sensitivity, increases insulin release and inhibits enzymes in carbohydrate that improves the lipid profile.

A study found that it can also suppress sorbitol accumulation in sugar-fed rats and human blood cells. It was found that ginger can help to protect from diabetes and also prevent diabetes complications. (25)

Wrap up: Ginger lower the total and LDL cholesterol, blood sugar level and triglyceride. It also increase insulin sensitivity and increase insulin release helping in lowering the diabetes complication. It is found to prevent and protect from diabetes and it complications.

10. Helpful In Menstrual Pain

It is highly effective in inflammation and pain. It is also found to alleviate pain associated with menstrual cramps.

A study found that women taking 250 mg of ginger 4 times a day felt low menstrual pain as compared to women who took drugs mefenamic acid and ibuprofen.

Wrap up: Ginger is best pain reliver found to alleviate pain associated to menstrual cramps.

11. Boost Brain Health And Protect From Alzheimer

Inflammatory compounds and oxidative stress are responsible for the increase in the rate of aging. With the increased rate of aging, it increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.

A healthy diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compound gingerol has been found to slow down the rate of aging. They prevent damage to neurons caused due to an inflammatory compound. (26)

A study also found that ginger extract can improve reaction time and working memory in the middle-aged women. (27)

No cure for Alzheimer is yet found. But eating healthy foods rich in antioxidant has found to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s or other age-related cognitive declines. (28, 29)

Wrap up: Gingerol contains high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property that prevent neuron damage protecting from Alzhimers disease.

Side effect Of Ginger

Ginger is quite safe to consume through the mouth. But some people had mild side effects like diarrhea, heartburn and general stomach discomfort.

There is no evidence of its side-effect but take precaution.

Pregnancy: No major effects of ginger has been found yet. There is no effect in child malformations or low birth weight. But few women had miscarriage who preferred to drink ginger for morning sickness during the 12th weeks of pregnancy. A study has found that it’s safe for pregnant women and it doesn’t harm the child. But avoid it during the last week of delivery as it can increase bleeding.

Do consult a doctor over your diet to get proper guidance.

Also, there is no reliable study for breastfeeding. So avoid it for safety.

Bleeding: It can increase bleeding.

Diabetes: It increases insulin and lower blood sugar level. So consult your doctor to make changes in your medication.

Heart disorders: Higher dose might worsen some of the heart conditions.

Interference With Medicine:-

Apart from side effects, it is also better to know ginger’s interaction with medicine. It is found beneficial against many of health disorder. But the beneficial property can interfere with some drugs.

Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs

Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs are used to slow blood clotting. Many drugs are available to slow clotting. As ginger also slow clotting, taking these drugs along with it increase chances of brushing or bleeding.

Medicine / Drugs are listed below:

• Phenprocoumon
• Warfarin (Coumadin)
• Aspirin
• Clopidogrel
• Diclofenac
• Ibuprofen
• Naproxen
• Dalteparin
• Heparin
• Phenprocoumon

Be careful and avoid ginger while taking these drug.

Diabetes Medicine Interaction

Ginger lower blood sugar level which can cause a problem while taking diabetes medication. Diabetes drug as taken to lower blood sugar level. Both interactions can drop sugar level too low. So ask your doctor to make changes as per your ginger dose.

Diabetes drugs are:

• Glimepiride
• Glyburide
• Insulin
• Pioglitazone
• Rosiglitazone
• Chlorpropamide
• Glipizide
• Tolbutamide

and other diabetes drugs.

High Blood Pressure Medication

Ginger also lower blood pressure. Precaution should be taken while taking blood pressure or heart disease medicine as it can sharply drop blood pressure resulting in irregular heartbeat.

Common Blood pressure or heart disease drug are:

• Nifedipine
• Verapamil
• Diltiazem
• Isradipine
• Felodipine
• Amlodipine