Ginger is a root plant that originated in Southeast Asia. Ginger adds a lot of flavor to food, it has and can also be used as an alternative form of medicine throughout history.
So if you’re rooting for a healthier you, consider adding ginger to your diet. Here are some health benefits ginger gives;-
1. Better Digestion
One with digestive issues, such as indigestion, ulcers, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), might find relief by adding it into their regular diet, as it speeds up the process of digestion and empties the stomach quickly.
2. Improves Immunity
Gingerol, the bioactive compound found in raw ginger, boosts immunity with its antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties. Ginger also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
The consumption of raw ginger helps to relieve coughs, lower fevers, fight off infections, relieve headaches, and ease other symptoms associated with common colds and the flu.
3. Alleviates Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Symptoms
It is advisable for females who have started experiencing menstruation to consume ginger during the first three days of your menstrual cycle as it helps to relief the pain that comes with it, and the anti-inflammatory properties relieve the bloat that is common with PMS.
4. Relieves Nausea and Upset Stomach
One of the most well-known health side effects of ginger is its ability to relieve nausea. Whether it’s from motion sickness, migraines, morning sickness, or general stomach problems, ginger helps calm an upset stomach.
5. May Help With Cancer
Studies on ginger have shown that some of the health benefits of gingerol may prevent some cancers, although it is not a cure-all. It’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help protect your body. It also reduces the symptoms of nausea and pain that comes with cancer treatment.
6. Reduces Pain
Ginger is a natural pain reliever. Anti-inflammatory properties in ginger reduce the pain associated with arthritis and increase joint mobility. Arthritis patients are often prescribed anti-inflammation medication to lessen their symptoms, but ginger works as a natural alternative.
7. Healthier Skin
The antioxidants in ginger improves the health of your skin with, increase blood circulation, and antiseptic properties. The antioxidants protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays and slow the breakdown of collagen, making the skin look younger and tauter.
Antiseptic properties improve acne symptoms, and with raw ginger, you can help with scarring caused by acne. The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger also aid in healing irritated skin.
8. Weight Loss Aid
Ginger controls insulin levels, boosts metabolism, and aids in workout recovery. Ginger helps with weight loss by giving your metabolism a boost and creating a feeling of fullness to prevent overeating.
9. Prevents Cardiovascular Disease
In addition to the wonders of ginger it works as a blood thinner, which is beneficial in preventing cardiovascular issues. Blood thinners reduce the risk of blood clots, which lowers your risk of heart attacks or strokes. Ginger also improves circulation and lowers blood sugar, which helps the heart stay at peak performance.
10. Improves Brain Function
Chronic inflammation affects your brain over time and may cause it to decline. This may result in cognitive conditions, mental health struggles, or Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger produces dopamine and serotonin to help fight mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. It also aids and enhances the functioning of the memory by increasing the neurotransmitters in our brain responsible for memory, focus, and reaction time.
I’ll leave you with some on how to increase your in take of ginger. Now, besides adding ginger in your cooked food like stew, rice and in seasoning your meat here is another way you can regularise your intake of ginger ;-
Ginger Tea/juice – add pieces of ginger to boiled water with some honey and lemon to flavour it. You could also boil the pieces of ginger as lipton for your beverages.
