5 Health Benefits of Ginger (2024)

FAQs

5 Health Benefits of Ginger? ›

It's known for adding flavor to cooking recipes, but it also offers several health benefits. Numerous studies have found that ginger can help improve blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, strengthen the immune system, and treat nausea and indigestion.

Ginger is not just delicious. Gingerol, a natural component of ginger root, benefits gastrointestinal motility ― the rate at which food exits the stomach and continues along the digestive process. Eating ginger encourages efficient digestion, so food doesn't linger as long in the gut.

Lowers Blood Sugar and Prevent Heart Disease

Ginger has powerful components that lower blood sugar levels and prevent heart disease. Eating ginger every day can regulate the production of insulin in patients with diabetes.

While more research needs to be done on this topic, a 2022 review in Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health suggests that up to 2 g of ginger a day—about 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger—spread out into two or three doses may be just as effective as NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, against cramps.

Ginger may have numerous health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, and other properties. It may help you lose weight, manage arthritis, reduce menstrual symptoms, and more. Ginger comes from a flowering plant originating in Southeast Asia.

Ginger has been used for thousands of years for the treatment of numerous ailments, such as colds, nausea, arthritis, migraines, and hypertension. The medicinal, chemical, and pharmacological properties of ginger have been extensively reviewed (Surh, Lee, and Lee 1998; Ernst and Pittler 2000; Afzal et al.

Studies confirm ginger's kidney-healing properties. One of them concludes that “ginger provides evidence for kidney protection and reduces severity of damage” caused to kidneys.

In more than 100 clinical trials of ginger, there were no reports of hepatotoxicity or clinically apparent liver injury. While ginger is a commonly used botanical, it does not appear in lists of herbs known to cause liver injury or reported to pharmacovigilance registries.

When not to take ginger? ›

Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with heart conditions, and people with diabetes should not take ginger without talking to their doctors. DO NOT take ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood-thinning medications, including aspirin.

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with GINGER. Ginger might slow blood clotting. Taking ginger along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

A: False. Ginger's nutrient profile does undergo some changes during the drying and bottling process, but it still offers up plenty of health benefits and is definitely worth adding to your diet – in any form.

Eat it raw or cook it—both are healthy: Research suggests that heating raw ginger (i.e., in cooking or making tea) reduces its ability to scavenge certain types of free radicals and increases its ability to scavenge other types—likely due to the conversion of gingerols to shogaols.

Ginger was shown to reduce inflammation when taken in high doses for four weeks.

Studies confirm ginger's kidney-healing properties. One of them concludes that “ginger provides evidence for kidney protection and reduces severity of damage” caused to kidneys.

Ginger is safe to eat daily, but experts recommend limiting yourself to 3 to 4 grams a day — stick to 1 gram daily if you're pregnant. Taking more than 6 grams of ginger a day has been proven to cause gastrointestinal issues such as reflux, heartburn and diarrhea.

The active compounds in ginger promote digestion. It stimulates your appetite and helps your digestive system function more efficiently, enabling your body to process food better and faster. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that ginger can alleviate (morning) nausea, especially in pregnant women.