The use of “natural” medicines has increased remarkably over the last few years. More and more older adults are practicing complementary and alternative medicine, introducing dietary supplements and herbal remedies into their daily lives.
Food is one of the best medicines for your body, but only if you are conscious about what you consume. There are a number of different natural foods that play a very important role in healing the body and increasing your immunity. One such ingredient is ginger. It is packed with antioxidants and compounds that help stave off stress and damage to your body’s DNA. They also aid your body in repelling chronic diseases like high blood pressure, lung diseases, and heart diseases. Ginger also promotes healthy aging. Here are some of the most prominent benefits of ginger:
Acts As a Germ-Fighter
Several studies have shown that ginger has antimicrobial activity against bacteria such as E Coli, Salmonella typhi, and Bacillus subtilis. Fresh ginger contains certain chemical compounds which help your body stave off germs by halting the growth of such bacteria. Not only does ginger fight bacterial infections, but it also helps prevent viral infections by keeping viruses like RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) at bay.
Promotes Oral Health
Ginger is scientifically authenticated for oral care. It contains notable active ingredients Raffinose and Gingerol that promote oral health. Raffinose is one of the key active ingredients in preventing plaque formation. It prevents bacterial buildup around your gums and teeth and also relieves pain, swelling, and infections related to tooth pain.
Gingerol, another critical active ingredient, is responsible for the spicy nature of ginger. It is also responsible for fighting various cancers by actually stopping cancerous cells from metastasizing.
Calms Nausea and Vomiting
The old wives’ tale may be accurate: ginger helps to ease a queasy stomach, especially during pregnancy. It works by breaking up and disposing of built-up gas in your intestines. It might also help settle seasickness or nausea caused by chemotherapy.
A Study conducted with 67 women who experienced morning sickness studied the effects of them being given 1000 mg of encapsulated ginger daily around 13 weeks of pregnancy. The study concluded that women who took ginger had a significant reduction in nausea and vomiting when compared to those who were given a placebo.
Further research shows ingesting up to 1 gram of ginger daily proved to be safe to cure nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Pacifies Sore Muscles
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties which provide a lot of benefits to those who suffer from muscle pain. Although ginger won’t take away muscle pain instantaneously, it may subdue soreness over time. Raw and heat-treated ginger bring down muscle pain by 25% and 23% respectively.
A study published in The Journal of Pain studied the effects of ginger on muscle pain and inflammation. 74 adults were tasked with performing activities that were taxing on the muscles and typically known to cause inflammation. The subjects were also asked to consume 2 grams of ginger for 11 consecutive days. In the end, 24 hours after a workout, the groups who consumed ginger noticed an average reduction of muscular discomfort that had been caused by the exercise after 24 hours.
Eases Symptoms of Arthritis
Ginger helps reduce swelling thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. This could be very much useful for treating symptoms of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. By consuming ginger orally in powder form or by placing a patch on your skin, you may be able to get relief from pain and swelling.
Lowers Blood Sugar
The inclusion of ginger in your diet may help lower your blood sugar levels and balance the production of insulin. The consumption of ginger powder among adults with type-2 diabetes who were not on insulin was seen to have contributed to an improvement in their glycemic control. It is recommended that you add up to 4 grams of ginger to your diet per day for the best results.
The mechanism behind this control is due to the presence of gingerols, the most prominent active component of ginger, said to enhance the absorption of glucose into muscle cells without utilizing insulin, thus helping in the management of high blood sugar levels.
Relieve Menstrual Cramps
Ginger is treasured for its warming and pain-relieving properties, which is why it can be beneficial in helping relieve menstrual cramps and period pain. Studies have shown that women who consumed 1.5 grams of ginger powder once a day for 3 days during their menstrual cycle experienced lower pain than women who didn’t consume ginger.
Curbs Cancer Growth
The anti-carcinogenic properties of ginger have only been recently explored, but the consensus is clear that there are clear benefits there. Although limited, research suggests ginger may help oncology patients. The bioactive molecules in ginger may hinder the growth of some cancers like gastric, ovarian, skin, colorectal, breast, liver, and prostate cancer.
Lowers Cholesterol
Ginger is proven to be an efficient component that may help you battle your “bad” or LDL cholesterol levels and boost your “good” or HDL cholesterol levels. A recent study showed that taking 5 grams of ginger daily for a period of 3 months reduced people’s bad cholesterol by an average of 30 points.
Relieves Indigestion
Are you worried about eating oily snacks and food because of upper abdominal discomfort also called “dyspepsia”? If you deal with the burning that comes with acid reflux, don’t delay trying ginger to ease your symptoms.
Small doses of ginger may soothe gastrointestinal irritation. Ginger can also reduce the possibility of stomach acid flowing up into the esophagus. A cup of ginger tea can soothe your stomach and eliminate indigestion. Also, eating ginger prior to meals encourages efficient digestion, so food doesn’t linger as long in the gut.
Conclusion
The health benefits of ginger are numerous and outstanding. Lack of knowledge about the biological mechanisms that underlie these outcomes should not discourage one from making knowledgeable and wise use of this mighty spice. To sum everything up, use this easily available, non-expensive, and natural herbal medicine to fight off harmful effects and maintain a healthy body!
