The health benefits of ginger can never be overstated. It helps in Ayurvedic medicine, aids in treating stroke and heart diseases, and serves as a cancer treatment. It also fosters immunity, aids in digestion, stands as a natural pain reliever, protects the skin, and reduces menstrual cramps in women.
Overview
Despite its popularity, ginger has a long history of medicinal use. It is commonly used as a spice and has many health benefits, including improving digestion and fighting colds. It has also been used to treat diabetes, diarrhoea, and gastrointestinal disorders. In some cultures, it’s used to treat symptoms of nausea, menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, and migraine headaches.
While growing up, our parents taught us a lot about ginger- especially its medicinal value. Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) is a herbivorous perennial plant compacted with many nutrients and bioactive compounds that aid in the proper functioning of our body and brain. This plant can serve in whatever form you want it – either fresh, dried, powdered, pickled or even in candied form. Also, ginger has proven to have sialagogic effects, which fosters saliva production. Having explained much about
What Are The Health Benefits Of Ginger?
The benefits of the ginger plant can never be overstated. Its uses are widely notable, from medicine to its spicy addition to the menu. Let’s, however, have a close look at some of the proven health benefits of ginger.
1. Serves In Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine
In Ayurveda, ginger is universal medicine. It has been used as a panacea for digestive, respiratory, and circulatory conditions for thousands of years. Its versatility has led to countless Ayurvedic uses, from traditional medicine to global cuisine.
Also, this herb is an excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and digestive tonic while supporting detoxification. It helps to improve blood circulation and reduce bloating. Its uses in Ayurvedic medicine are abundant and can never be overstated.
2. Treating stroke and heart disease
New research shows that ginger may also lower LDL cholesterol levels and reduce levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, two factors linked to stroke and heart disease. The benefits of ginger are widely known as a herb that may help protect the heart and reduce the risks of both.
3. Cancer treatment
Research has shown that ginger contains phytochemicals and plant compounds with health-promoting properties. These phytochemicals include gingerols and shogaols, which are lesser-known but potentially beneficial in fighting cancer. Ginger is also known to inhibit the activity of Nf-kB, a protein in the cancer cells that promotes metastasis. These compounds are responsible for the anti-cancer properties of ginger.
4. Fosters Immunity
Ginger is an excellent food for the immune system, and its powerful antioxidant and antibacterial properties may have even more beneficial effects. It can even prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, which may cause illnesses like shigella and stomach ulcers. Moreover, ginger can brighten your smile because of its antibacterial and antiviral properties. Even if you’re not prone to colds, ginger is an excellent way to fight off nausea, queasy stomach, and sore throats.
5. Helps For Better Digestion
Ginger has been proven to be a good remedy for boosting the digestion process and, at times, even cleanses the stomach efficiently. It is the best choice for those suffering from indigestion, constipation, ulcers, and even IBF.
In addition to aiding digestion, ginger is said to have a sialagogic effect. This helps in the production of saliva, which provides smooth digestion.
6. Serves as a Natural Pain Relief
Amongst its wide range of benefits, ginger also serves as a natural pain reliever. This makes it a better alternative to over-the-counter pain relief medications. Ginger is primarily composed of gingerols- an active constituent that serves as an anti-inflammatory while efficiently getting rid of compounds in the body that may result in pain.
In addition, ginger reduces major pains associated with arthritis and boosts joint mobility. So, if you have arthritis, you should incorporate ginger into your daily meals for better relief.
7. Skin protection
The galangal extract, also called Glanaga or Chinese ginger, contains about 98% Ethyl p-methoxy cinnamic acid. These extracts serve as a natural skin lightening remedy while protecting the skin from UV rays damage. It helps in reducing the occurrence of scars and reduces the rate at which collagen is broken down, leaving the skin much younger and soft.
8. Reduces the Pains of Menses
During the female menstrual cycle, so much pain is always experienced, and most times, they try all means possible to reduce this pain. Eating fresh ginger will help relax the pain here. Since ginger serves as natural pain relief, it’s more like taking pain medication during this period. As a tip, consider eating the ginger plant during the first three days of your menstrual cycle and notice how minimal the pain would be.
Wrap Up
With all being said, the choice now lies with you. The health benefits of ginger can never be overstated. It helps in Ayurvedic medicine, aids in treating stroke and heart diseases, and serves as a cancer treatment. It also fosters immunity, aids in digestion, stands as a natural pain reliever, protects the skin, and reduces women’s menstrual cramps.
With all these, do you see ginger so beneficial that you’ll love to eat it every day? That’ll be a great idea, but eating it every day doesn’t entail eating whole ginger. You can cut a measured piece (let’s say 1.5cm) and blend it with your smoothies or crush it and use it for your meals. So, tell us, will you take this pattern?