Consuming ginger will contribute to your overall health. Fact! Ginger can heal you in many different ways. Fact! You’ll be mind blown by the end of this article, also a fact!
Ginger comes from a flowering plant. The plant has a thick, knotted underground stem called a rhizome, which you will find is the source of the spice. This root vegetable is native to southeast Asia’s tropical and subtropical forests, including parts of China, India, and Japan.
Adding ginger to your diet will provide you with great health benefits. Ginger is used all over the world, as a traditional/folk medicine due to its Gingerol ( the main bioactive compound in ginger) and as a one-of-a-kind flavor or spice for drinks and food dishes.
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10 mind-blowing health benefits of ginger:
- Improves respiratory health. Ginger is lung-cleansing and provides anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties that remove toxins from the respiratory tract.
- Reduces inflammation. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory compounds that decrease pain, inflammation, soreness and swelling. For example, ginger is known to significantly help with joint pain and movement, making arthritis less painful.
- Relieves nausea. Whether you’re feeling queasy because of pregnancy/morning sickness or going through chemotherapy, ginger will help to relieve nausea.
- Boosts immunity. Loaded with antioxidants, ginger will help to keep the body healthy and strong by fighting off germs.
- Protects the body from infectious diseases. The antibacterial properties in ginger help restrain bacterial growth and protect the body from any potentially infectious diseases, such as strep throat, E.coli, cold and flu.
- Lowers/improves cholesterol levels. Ginger works hard at ridding the body of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels. These are considered the “bad” cholesterol that contributes to plaque buildup in your arteries.
- Lowers blood sugar. Ginger helps lower blood sugar levels, which directly prevents an excess of glucose in the bloodstream.
- Helps with digestive orders. Ginger will be sure to relieve you of any digestive problems. Ginger encourages efficient digestion by helping food pass through and not letting it linger in your stomach, reducing constipation, intestinal gas and bloating.
- Helps to heal ulcers, also known as gastric ulcers or peptic ulcers. For the pain and discomfort from stomach ulcers, ginger will help alleviate those symptoms.
- Relieves menstrual cramps. That time of the month? Ginger has you covered. Studies show that consuming ginger powder will ease period cramps.
RELATED: Ginger: Your Secret Weapon Against Inflammation?
There are plenty of ways to incorporate ginger into your everyday life. The great thing is that you can enjoy ginger in many different forms. You can use ginger fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice. Like, drinks such as tea, infused water, smoothies, infused oils, and incorporating ginger into your oats or baking. You can find ginger/ginger root at any of your local grocery stores.
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Here are some of my favorite, super easy recipes that incorporate ginger (they really, really taste good too!):
Ginger Tea
(soothe a sore throat, or upset stomach, ease indigestion, relieve nausea, or just simply enjoy a warm cup of tea.)
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger per 1 cup of water.
Chop the ginger into small pieces (or grate it) this will maximize the potency of the tea.
Boil for 7-12 minutes.
Add honey (optional) for sweetness.
Also optional add-ins for a little more complexity and health benefits. Cinnamon sticks for sweetness and blood sugar support, fresh turmeric for more anti-inflammatory goodness, orange peel for zestiness and vitamin C, or fennel seeds for sweetness and digestive support.
For a milder/less potent tea, simply use less ginger or boil for less time.
Ginger-lemon pound cake
(need something sweet?)
2 teaspoons of fresh, grated ginger
2 teaspoons of fresh, grated lemon zest
½ teaspoons of fine sea salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar
1 ¾ of all-purpose flour
Use a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes(be sure to test with a wooden skewer for doneness).
Ginger mango-banana smoothie
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
½ cup of frozen mango
1 small, ripe banana
½ cup of almond milk
1 cup of baby spinach
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth or to your smoothie liking.
Ginger shots
(get rid of that pain, cold, cough and congestion!)
What you’ll need:
3 ounces* fresh ginger, unpeeled, washed and roughly chopped
1 orange, peeled
1 lemon, peeled
1/4 cup coconut water
Let’s blend! Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend for about 20-30 seconds, until smooth (or to your liking). Next, strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup or bowl. Use a spoon to press down the pulp so that as much juice can be strained out as possible, then discard the pulp. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to three days. Note, that the ginger shots will naturally settle as they continue to sit, so be sure to stir or shake briefly before serving after refrigerating.
With these 10 incredible health benefits of ginger, I hope you start incorporating ginger into your everyday life. Your body will thank you. For more ginger recipes and reads, visit our site here.
